Month: May 2018

Whillet’s:- 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 5 Grass Snakes, 1 Toad.
West End:- 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Coot, 2 Swallows, 1 Kingfisher.

Dam End:- 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 6 House Martin, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap.
North Bank:- 3 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroat.
West End:-  32 Great Crested Grebe (3 nests), 24 Cormorant (10 nests), 1 Mute Swan, 6 Canada Geese, 6m+1f Mandarin, 1f Mallard with 5 young, 4m+2f Tufted Duck, 1 Moorhen, 2 Coot, 4 Common Tern, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Swallow, 1 Dunnock, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Goldfinch singing, 1 Wren.

West End (1215 to 1300):-  Mandarin pair with 8 ducklings, 2 pairs Common Terns on rafts, Swallow, Kingfisher, Coots, Canada Geese, and Buzzards. Usual Herons, Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes and Mallards. Also 2 Terrapins
West End:- 3 Blackbird, 2 Buzzard, Chaffinch, 4 Common Tern, 23  Cormorants, 5+ Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mute Swan, Blackcap, 5 Canada Goose, Chiffchaff, 2 Coot, 31 Great Crested Grebe, House Sparrow, Kingfisher, 15 Mallard, 3+ Swallow, Reed Warbler heard.

West End:- 15 Grey Heron including recently fledged young seen standing along Pintail Bank, 3 Egyptian Geese, 2m Mandarin, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Coot, 2 on raft + 6 Common Tern seen flying & interacting above the reserve, Reed Warbler singing in front of the hide. Several large fish (Carp?) in the shallows.

West End:-  44 Great Crested Grebe, 11 Canada Geese, 4 Common Tern, 1 Kingfisher.
Whillet’s:-  Toad (pic), 2 Wood Mouse, Red Kite, 2 Ravens ~ also Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff & Whitethroat seen or heard.

Moth Box :–  1 Brimstone (pic), 1 Grey Birch (pics – “can you find it on the tree?” ), 2 Brown Silver-line, 1 Clouded Drab, 1 Hebrew Character, 1 male Muslin Moth (pic), 3 Nut Tree Tussock (pic), 1 Red Twin-spot Carpet also a Hawthorn fly aka St Marks fly (pic).

Dam End:- 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Common Terns, 5 Goldfinch.
Whillet’s:- 4 Blackcap, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Song Thrush taking food to nest, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Swallows, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Ravens.

Evening, about 10 Black Terns around the meridian visible from fishing lodge, 2 Pied Wagtails on dam. One of the Grey Wagtails was taken by a Sparrowhawk last week. The 3 fledgling Tawny Owls have left the nest box at Whillet’s. Great Crested Grebes displaying.