Reports 2009-
RSPB Cliffe Pools -
Cliff, Richard and their shadows
We arrived at the reserve & found that a new car park had been built. The reserve is quite large the walk around it is about four & a half miles
We met the warden who told us of the great birds that had been on the reserve the previous week.
As we set off my first warbler of the year, a Chiffchaff was heard.
We climbed to an area called The Pinnacle this is the highest point of the reserve and gives good views over the pools. From here we saw many Shelduck, Greylag geese, grebes & ducks, also a fox was seen.
Continuing around the reserve we saw a few birds flying over us, mainly Blue & Great
Tits, also Long-
The Waders seen were Avocet, Redshank, Lapwing & Ringed Plovers. The grassland had many Skylarks, Meadow Pipits & also Corn Buntings, a single Stonechat was present. A lone Marsh Harrier was spotted by one of the group.
As we continued dark clouds overhead cause a downpour, this only lasted for about ten minutes but as there is no shelter we got wet.
When the rain had ceased we heard a Cettis Warbler called from the depths of a bush, it was only a few feet from us but was not seen.
Coming to the end of our circuit of the reserve, we looked out over a pool to see what was to be our bird of the day, a pair of Greenshank.
Discussing the days count on the way back to the car park we were disappointed over the number of species seen although when we had a count up it was found to be over fifty.
Dave Jones (photographs by Stuart Harrison)