Month: December 2019

West End:- 2m Tufted Duck.
Whillet’s:- 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Green Woodpecker, 57 Fieldfares, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Rook, 1 Water Rail squealing.

Ringing in the Study Area saw a varied mix of species including: Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Redwing and Chaffinch (2 male). A total of 25 birds. Other observations included: approximately 250 Woodpigeon flying over, 2 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 2 Raven, 1 Buzzard, 6 Goldfinch, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Chaffinch (1 male and 1 female) and 6 Mandarin.

Ringing from first light – only caught a few Tits and a Goldcrest.
West End:- 2 Egyptian Geese flew in, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Marsh Tits on the feeder, 6 Pochards, 1 Tufted Duck
(female) and 9 Mandarin (8 male and 1 female).

West End:  1 Little Grebe, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 17 Cormorant, 127 Greylag, 6 Canada Geese, pair of Mandarin, 8 Mallard, 4m+1f Pochard, pair of Tufted Duck, 1 Buzzard, 1 Stock Dove, 100+ Wood Pigeon, 1m Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Marsh Tit, 3 Coal Tit, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 10+ Blue Tit, 4+ Great Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 4 Jackdaw & 8 Crow flyover,  2 Chaffinch.
Whillet’s:- Pair of Sparrowhawk flight displaying, Water Rail heard, 1 Moorhen, 1 Snipe, Green Woodpecker heard, 4 Blackbirds.

Whillet’s:- 155 Reed Buntings and 1,500 Starlings dropped in to roost this evening. 10 Mandarin and 1 Teal flew over,1 squealing Water Rail, 8 Fieldfares, 10 Redwings, 1 male Sparrowhawk, 1 Harrier sp flew west.

West End:- 4m+2f Pochard, 4m+1f Mandarin.
Whillet’s:- 180 Goldfinches and 2 Siskins feeding in Alders.

There are very high water levels in the meadows and the study area. The stream in the meadows has topped its banks. The work party cleared channels in the birch woods to help the water pass from Legsheath Lane into the reservoir.

Pintail Bank:- 2 Snipe flushed.

WeBS by Alastair Gray and Bob Johnson
All reservoir: 14 Great Crested Grebe, 15 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 30 Mallard + 1 feral hybrid, 7 Moorhen,  2 Kingfisher,  2 Pied Wagtail, 5 Blackbird, 6 Fieldfare, 31 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, 7 Chaffinch, 26 Goldfinch, 7 Long-tailed Tit.
Dam End:- 14 Common Gull, 4 Herring Gull, 6 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, 1 Treecreeper.
West End:- 214 Greylag Geese + 1 Canada/Greylag hybrid, 1 Canada Goose, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Mandarin,  1m Sparrowhawk, 1 Water Rail,  1 Coot, c.700 Black-headed Gull (early morning leaving roost), 2 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Marsh Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 18 Blue Tit, 5 Great Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Jay flyover, 50+ Jackdaw flyover, 2 Rook.
Whillets:-  1 Buzzard, 2 Water Rail, Lesser Black-backed Gull flyover,  Mistle Thrush flyover, 1m Brambling, 3 Siskin, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch, 1 Yellowhammer.
Reed-bed roost count (from 14:15 to 16:15):-  153 Reed Bunting came in to roost. Also an impressive Starling count which included the following flocks entering reed-bed –  c1100 + c100 + c500 + c600 + 30 stragglers = Estimated 2330 Starlings total.  Also a female Sparrowhawk seen attacking the circling Starling flocks.

West End:- 5m+1f Pochard, 4m+3f Gadwall, 3 Little Grebes, 4 Coots, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Canada Goose, 2 Moorhen, 1 male Sparrowhawk, 30 Mallard, 22 Fieldfares, 5 Starlings.