Month: January 2020

West End:- 26 Grey Heron in heronry, 2m Pochard, 4 Egyptian Geese, 8 Mandarin, 12 Chaffinch under feeders, 3 Buzzards.

West End:- 24 Grey Heron (all seen in heronry area), 18 Cormorant, 90 Greylag Geese, 10m+5f Mandarin, 1f Wigeon, 1m Shoveler, 2m Pochard, 14 Mallard + 2 at Whillets, 2 Moorhen + 2 at Whillets, 1m Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20+ Blue Tit, 5+ Great Tit, 1 Nuthatch.

Whillet’s:- Peregrine.
Pintail:- 6 Snipe.
West End:- 2 Kingfishers, Sparrowhawk past the feeders.
7m + 3f Mandarin, 1 Buzzard, 2 Great Crested Grebe.
Feeders Area:- 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, plus usual Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinch and Blackbird.

West End (on a short morning visit to top up the feeders):-  210 Greylag + 1 Canada/Greylag hybrid, 5 Canada Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 8 Grey Heron (at nests), 10 Cormorant, 5m Pochard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Mandarin, 8 Mallard, 1 Buzzard, 1 Snipe on Pintail Bank.
Feeders:- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Coal Tit, 10+ Blue Tit, 5+ Great Tit, 3 Long-tailed Tit, few Chaffinch & Goldfinch, plus usual Robin, Blackbird and Dunnock.

West End:- 5m Pochard, 1 Kingfisher, 7 Common Gull, 8 Grey Herons, 4 Mandarin.

West End:- Eight Grey Herons perching on their trees with 4 standing on the old nests.

West End:- 1 Little Grebe, 3 Mandarin flyover, 2m+1f Gadwall, 3m Pochard, 1m Tufted Duck, 1 Moorhen, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh & Coal Tit seen at feeders.

W E B S
All reservoir:- 7 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe (2 at Dam End Lagoon + 1 at West end), 27 Cormorant, 7 Grey Heron (5 at west end),  10 Mallard,  7 Moorhen, 2 Kingfisher,  2 Mistle Thrush (1 at Dam, 1 at West End),  8 Long-tailed Tit, 8+ Crows, 10 Goldfinch, 5 Bullfinch.
Dam End:-  22 Canada Geese, 1 Peregrine, 1 Pied Wagtail,  59 Fieldfare, 60+ Redwing, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Jay.
West End:- 185 Greylag + 1 Canada/Greylag hybrid, 2 Egyptian Geese, 15 Mandarin, 2m+1f Gadwall, 3m Pochard, 6 Teal, 2 Buzzard, 43 Black-headed Gull, 6 Common Gull, 5 Stock Dove, 50+ Jackdaw flyover, 1 Raven flyover.      Feeders-: 3 Marsh Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 8+ Blue Tit, 8+ Great Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Goldfinch, 6 Chaffinch, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1m+1f Bullfinch nearby.
Whillets:- 1f Sparrowhawk, Water Rail heard, Tawny Owl heard, 1f Stonechat, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper, 3 Jay, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Bullfinch.
Reed-bed Roost between 15:00 & 16:40:  67 Reed Bunting came in to roost. The recent very large Starling roost flocks measured in 1000’s failed to materialize with only 25 birds roosting.
The large numbers of Starlings roosting in recent weeks have noticeably flattened the reed bed. It is not as tall as it was and may not be so desirable to the Starlings. They can be fickle and move to different sites so they may not be back?

West End:- Car Park (13,14-14,18) 205 Grelag Geese, 6 Canada Geese, 6 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck 1m+1f, 2 Pochard both m, 4 Mandarin 3m+1f, 16 Cormorant, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Grey Heron, 25 Black-headed Gull, 12 Common Gull, 1 juv Herring Gull, 1 Buzzard overhead, 2 Jackdaw. At Feeders:12 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Blackbird 2m+1f, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 7 Chaffinch 5m+2f, 1 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 1 Pheasant f, 2 Mallard, numerous Carrion Crow overflying.

Whillet’s Reed Bed (15:00 to 16:30):- 2 Water Rail & 1 Moorhen heard, 59 Reed Buntings came in to roost over the period. The Starlings carried out some nice murmuration flights a little after 4pm. There could have been nearly 3000 at one point; but the flock broke up and I estimated that about 2000 came in to roost in various sized flocks.
Also 4 Fallow Deer were out feeding in the meadows.