Farm, Pond and Woodland
Bird Life
Our bird life is large and varied, one of the most notable additions are the seven Buzzards that can be seen circling the pond on summer days (to catch a glimpse the best time is 12-1 on a hot day). In addition, herons and barn owls can regularly be found around the pond and woodlands.
2012 marked the return of the first swans to the lake since 1999 which may be due to the drought affecting many other ponds and lakes in the area more severely than the spring fed pond at Selbrigg. Unfortunately they didn't breed but in 2013 hatched 4 cygnets of which one made it to maturity. Alas the male swan died in early 2014 and the female found a new mate are bred 4 cygnets of which 3 survived. In 2015 the pair did not breed successfully, but in 2016 6 Cygnets were born - 3 making it to adulthood. 2017 saw 7 cygnets born...
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Many thanks must go to Bernard Dawson who from his bird records compiled the list of birds below and Jeremy Early, from Nature Conservation Imaging who's photos largely have been used, with his kind permission.
| Common Name | Species Name | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Barn Owl | Tyto alba |  |
| Blackbird | Turdus merula |  |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla |  |
| Black Headed Gull | Chroicocephalus Ridibundus |  |
| Blue Tit | Cyanistes caeruleus |  |
| Bullfinch | Pyrrhula Pyrrhula |  |
| Buzzards | Buteo buteo |  |
| Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus Collybita | |
| Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs |  |
| Coal Tit | Periparus ater |  |
| Cormorant | Phalacrocorax Carbo |  |
Coots | Fulica atra |  |
| Gadwell | Anas Stepera |  |
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | |
| Goldcrest | Regulus Regulus |  |
| Goldfinch | Carduelis Carduelis |  |
| Great Crested Grebe | Pocliceps Cristatus |  |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | Dendropos major |  |
| Great Tit | Parus major |  |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
| Green Woodpecker | Picus Viridis |  |
| Grey Heron | Ardea Cinerea |  |
Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea |  |
| Greylag Goose | Anser Anser |  |
| Hobby | Falco Subbuteo | |
| Jay | Garrulus glandarius |  |
| Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus |  |
| Kingfisher | Alcedo Atthis |  |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus Ruticollis |  |
| Long-tailed Tit | Aegitalos caudatus | |
| Mallard | Anas Platyrhynchos |  |
| Marsh Tit | Poecile palustris | |
| Mealy Redpoll | Carduelis Flammea | |
| Moorhens | Gallinula chloropus |  |
| Mute Swan | Cygnus olor |  |
| Nuthatch | Sitla europaea |  |
| Pochard | Aythya Ferina |  |
| Pheasant | Phasianus Colchicus |  |
| Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus |  |
| Robin | Erithacus Rubecula |  |
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura Jamaicensis |  |
| Siskin | Carduelis spinus |  |
| Snipe | Gallingo gallinago | |
| Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus |  |
| Swallow | Hirundo rustica |  |
| Swifts | Apus apus | |
| Tawny Owl | Strix aluco |  |
| Teal | Anas crecca |  |
| Treecreeper | Certhia familaris |  |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula |  |
| Woodcock | Scolopax Rusticola | |
| Woodpigeon | Columba Palumbus | |
| Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes |  |
A Buzzard (Buteo buteo) flying above Selbrigg Pond
Swans taking off on Selbrigg Pond. © Richard Harris