West End:- 4 Shoveler (2 pairs), 4 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 4 Mandarin, 18 Canada Goose, Swallow, Red Kite, Marsh Tit.
Whillet’s:- 1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs, Jay, Green Woodpecker heard, male Reed Bunting,
Tins:- 2 Grass Snakes, 6 Common Toads, 1 Common Shrew.
Butterflies:- 1 Brimstone, 1 Comma, 2 Peacocks 1 Small Tortoishell
As there wasn’t much at the west end this morning just a Pair of Gadwall,8 GC Grebes and a Kingfisher,I watched from the bottom corner of the stubble field by lay-by.
2 pairs of House Sparrows nesting in right side of school roof,pair of Linnets,1 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting,2 Chaffinch and a Goldfinch flew over stubble field.
2 Pied Wagtails in field,2 Chiffchaffs singing a Little egret flew towards Heronry and 4 Buzzards up on thermals.
Red Kite and a Swallow through too
heronry survey confirmed 41 proven active nests with birds seen. Noted so far were 12 nests with (16) young. On the Cormorant side there is an increase to now 23 active nests with birds seen, including 6 nests along North bank Willows and 2 heron nests now taken over by Cormorants. Only 1 Cormorant nest has confirmed young noted so far.
WeirWood from a breezy dam at dawn, a lovely looking male Yellow Wagtail on the top of the dam with 3 Meadow Pipits all flying off towards the pumping station at 7:10 due to disturbance. Also of note were 3 Swallows early on over the reservoir and the Great Egret along the north bank but sadly little else.
At the west end lone Teal and Tufted Duck were noted but it was unusually quiet bird wise. However a Redwing was noted in the c/pk and Marsh Tit again on the feeders, also Great spotted Woodpecker. The heronry was very busy and quite noisy, many hungry chicks no doubt.
On Whillett’s a Water Rail and 2 Reed Buntings were seen plus a single Little Egret.
Dam End:- A singing Blackcap near the sailing club car park, otherwise very quiet at the end.
West End (PM):- with Bob J. 2 Swallows low over the car park, pairs of Egyptian Goose, Gadwall and Mandarin, singles of Teal, Tufted Duck, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 7 GC Grebe, 2 LBB Gull, 5 Buzzard and lots of activity in the heronry.
West End (PM):- in a cold wind, 2 Swallows and 1 Sand Martin north, 2 Red Kites and 31 Black- headed gulls west.
3 Mandarins around.
West End (Late PM):- not much to add apart from, female Brambling below the feeders, pairs of Gadwall and Egyptian Geese.
West End:- WeirWood again, early afternoon this time. For the last few days not a lot seen but today was brilliant. First 2 birds were White Stork over north and Osprey at the west end. I was delighted to see my first Swallow of the year over the nesting rafts and brilliant views of a hunting male Goshawk, an awesome bird of seen well like this. The feeders produced the usual Marsh Tit whilst Great-crested Grebes were weed dancing. A male Reed Bunting was at the feeding station and a male Bullfinch paid a brief visit
Whillett’s:- a Water Rail was showing well and the Great Egret flew over towards the meadows. In the narrows a Little Egret was noted and 6 Mandarins. .
Dam End:- it was fairly quiet with a few Herring Gulls on the water but the grassy slope produced Green Woodpecker, a Mistle Thrush was noted and a Blackcap was singing in trees here, a few Pied Wagtails were joined by 2 Meadow Pipits, plus 2 Jays joined the party. From here 5 Common Buzzards were up just casually interacting with each other and even a Red Kite joined in. Not a bad haul in one and a half hours.
West End:- 2 x Greylag Goose, 14 x Canada Goose, 11 x Mallard, 2 x Eurasian Teal, 2 x Common Pheasant, 1 x Stock Dove, 2 x Common Woodpigeon, 2 x Common Moorhen, 1 x European Herring Gull, 5 x Great Crested Grebe, 27 x Great Cormorant, 33 x Grey Heron, 2 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 x Common Magpie, 1 x Marsh Tit, 7 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 3 x Great Tit, 3 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x European Robin, 1 x Dunnock, 1 x Pied Wagtail, 1 x Common Chaffinch, 3 x European Goldfinch
West End (PM) :-1 Osprey (16:05), adult male Goshawk, 1 Red Kite, 6 Buzzards, Great Egret, 3 Little Egret, 1m Reed Bunting (again in front of the hide), 5 Mandarins, 3 Teal,6 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Coot, 5 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Marsh Tit, 3 Pied Wagtails.
Dam End:- 3 Egyptian Geese, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Pied Wagtails, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Black headed gulls, 1 Herring Gull, Green Woodpecker heard.
