Unlike other WWT reserves there are no captive birds at Caerlaverock and in winter they get huge flocks of Barnacle Geese and Whooper Swans.
Amazing to see them flying around the site and the noise of their wings is like music.
The honking, and there's a lot of honking, is not musical at all.
The swans are fed three times a day and know exactly when to arrive for food, you can see them fly in and land with a great splash, the black on the beaks of the Whoopers make them look as if they're smiling, which is infectious.
Waiting to be fed
Folly Pond, Solway and LakeDistrict beyond
Splash Landing
Wild Whopper Swans flying over Caerlaverock WWT reserve
Wild Whooper Swan in close-up, most hides have windows that open but where the swans are fed, and they come in really close, you must photograph them through glass. It is kept clean.
Blue sky and Whooper Swans
Widgeon
Lots of various ducks, Curlew, Lapwing, Peregrine, Yellowhammers, Reed Bunting, deer and of course Geese about on the site at this time of the year.
The Caerlaverock website does list what's been seen on site on a regular basis although obviously these are wild birds so come and go.
all photographs used in this Blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission
3 comments:
Lovely pictures. Looks beautiful there.
Another set of beautiful shots! ( We went to Rockcliffe then Longtown yesterday...male smew was our best find! )
Thankyou - it's a lovely place to visit whatever the weather
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