Month: February 2017

West End:-1 male Peregrine, 3 Buzzards, 2m Gadwall, 4 Stock Doves, 1 Herring Gull, 2 Moorhens, Nuthatch (heard), 1 Coal Tit.
Dam End:- 1m Tufted Duck, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Common Gull, 3 Rooks, 1 Coal Tit.

West End:- 38 Grey Heron, including the white leucistic bird, at heronry. There has been some minor damage to the heronry caused by the  recent gales – 1 branch with a nest gone. 23 Great Crested Grebe, 17 Cormorant, 2 displaying Buzzards, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Moorhen.
Whillet’s:- 8 Grey Heron at pool. 2m Teal , 1 Moorhen, pair of Mandarin, 1 Wren, 13 Siskin, c.60 Fieldfare flyover – about 30 0f which were seen perched in trees earlier.

West End:   Heronry now has 34 nests with 45 Grey Herons present at a late afternoon count. A white leucistic bird was also seen at a nest, probably the same bird that was around last year. A Little Egret came into the heronry at dusk (probably roosting). Great Crested Grebe numbers are slowly increasing with occasional display starting. Also 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kingfisher, 5 Gadwall, pair of Mandarin (15 were reported earlier by others), 37 Fieldfare, also 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 7 Long-tailed Tit seen at feeders.

West End:- 14m+1f Mandarin, 16 Mallard, 38 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, Water Rail (heard), 16 Common Gulls, 51 Cormorants, 29 Grey Herons in heronry, 2 Buzzards and 2 Ravens.

West End:- 32 Grey Heron at the heronry, numbers are increasing and include a very light-coloured slightly leucistic bird seen at a nest, 12 male Mandarin seen flying as a flock at dusk, 6 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard, 4 Common Gull, 3 Stock Dove, 6 Fieldfare, singing Song Thrush, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Treecreeper, plus the usual at the feeders.
Whillet’s:- flyover Raven seen and heard, 2 Goldcrest with 4 Long-tailed Tit.
West End:- 2 Mute Swan, Raven calling.
Dam End:- 1 Marsh Tit, c.10 Rook (in rookery) – c.850 Black-headed Gull, 40+ Common Gull, c.30 Herring Gull. (Gull roost count taken 30 minutes before sunset – many more birds were still coming in but they were too distant and light levels too low for a better count).

Includes monthly WeBS.
All reservoir counts:- 18 Great Crested Grebe, 31 Cormorant, 14 Grey Heron (most at heronry), 27 Canada Geese, 18 Mallard, 99 Black-headed Gull, 9 Common Gull.
Dam End:- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull, Rooks heard.
West End:- 10 Greylag, 1 Hybrid Goose, 18 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard, 2 Moorhen, 36 Lapwing, pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 7 Goldfinch, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Coal Tit, Bullfinch heard.
Whillet’s:- 1f Sparrowhawk… Read the rest