Month: December 2017

Went to the Dam End and walked along North Bank footpath to the Hornbean wood just beyond the picnic area. My perseverance paid off. At 14:45 I found a Hawfinch, which looked like a male, sitting at the top of an Ash tree. It was distant and the light was poor. But I had good enough views through my telescope to confirm that it was a Hawfinch.
Also seen:
1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, c45 Redwing.
A quick look at the Gull roost gave 500+ Black-headed Gull, 50+ Herring Gull, 40+ Common Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull. When I left Gulls were still coming in but the light was too poor for identification and counts.

I have attached a photo of the view from the picnic area toward our recently-cleared area on the South Bank where the new reed bed is planned.

Whillet’s:- Pair of Stonechat in second meadow.
Reed-bed roost & counts:- 271 Reed Buntings came into reed-bed between 14:15 & 16:05 with about 20 seen leaving reed-bed over same period. 1 Starling came into reedbed roost + 50 flew over. 1 Water Rail heard, 2 Kingfishers seen flying, 7 Redwing & 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker in trees, 6 Siskin flew over, 1 Buzzard flew over.

New record count of 271 Reed Buntings into the Reed Bed roost this evening.
Subsequent note from the SOS:- this evenings Reed Bunting count at Weir Wood is the second or third highest count in Sussex since 1980.

West End:- 3 Bramblings feeding under feeders with 8 Chaffinch, 5 Lesser Redpolls and 17 Goldfinch feeding in Alders around car park, 33 Teal, 13 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck, 26 Mallard, 20m+2f Mandarins, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Coots, 2 Egyptian Geese, 201 Greylag Geese, 30 Lapwing, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Greenfinch, 2 Marsh Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 56 Black-headed Gull, 250 Woodpigeon flew East, 2 Ravens, 1m Kestrel.

WeBS
All reservoir:- 70 Great Crested Grebe, 73 Cormorant, 4 Grey Heron, 48 Mallard, 4 Buzzard, 4 Moorhen, 4 Pied Wagtail.
Dam End:- c250 Black-headed Gull, 47 Herring Gull, 11 Common Gull, 1 Grey Wagtail,  5 Fieldfare, 6 Song Thrush, 3 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 4 Blackbirds, 2 Starling, 1 Kingfisher.
Whillets:- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Kingfisher.
West End:-   2 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 170 Greylag + 1 Canada/Greylag hybrid, 3 Canada Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 5 Mandarin, 12 Gadwall, 25 Teal, 1m Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 Kestrel, 1 Coot, 31 Lapwing, 4 Stock Dove.
Feeders:-  10+ Blue Tit, 5+ Great Tit, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Marsh Tit, 3 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 6 Chaffinch, 2+ Goldfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Dunnock, 2 Robin.

Continuing the clearance of an area on the South Bank preparing to plant a new reed bed and a view at The Dam End at sunset; photos by Bob Johnson.

Ringing late this morning for a few hours saw mostly Blue Tit and the odd Coal Tit, Great Tit and Wren. A bird of particular note was a Great Spotted Woodpecker – a first year female. I am always intrigued by their ‘stiff’ tails that they use to hold themselves on the tree. I have attached a close up photo of the bird’s tail.
Other sightings of note:- Marsh Tit, Buzzard, Kingfisher, Nuthatch, Kestrel and Bullfinch.