Month: March 2025

West End (PM) :- Goshawk over north bank, Great White Egret on Pintail, 3 Wigeon, 5 Gadwall, 5 Mandarin, 2 Teal, LBB Gull, Marsh Tit, 4 GC Grebe, Kingfisher, Red Kite, Chiffchaff, Terrapin & Brimstone.

West End:- 1 x Greylag Goose, 14 x Canada Goose, 2 x Egyptian Goose, 6 x Mandarin Duck, 9 x Mallard, 1 x Common Pheasant, 1 x Stock Dove, 1 x Common Moorhen, 2 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Common Gull, 2 x Great Black-backed Gull, 7 x Great Crested Grebe, 23 x Great Cormorant, 27 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 x Common Magpie, 1 x Carrion Crow, 8 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 3 x Great Tit, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 2 x European Robin, 2 x Dunnock, 2 x Common Chaffinch, 3 x European Goldfinch

Dam end (mid afternoon):- 14 Pied Wagtails,41 Canada geese,1 Greylag,1 Egyptian,3 GCG,1 Chiffchaff,3 buzzards and a large Goshawk over NorthBank Nr west end.

West End :-6 x Canada Goose, 7 x Egyptian Goose, 3 x Mandarin Duck, 8 x Mallard, 3 x Tufted Duck, 2 x Common Pheasant, 2 x Common Moorhen, 1 x European Herring Gull, 1 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 x Great Crested Grebe, 26 x Great Cormorant, 23 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Marsh Tit, 7 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 6 x Great Tit, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 2 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin, 2 x Dunnock, 2 x Common Chaffinch

WeirWood again from a bright and frosty dawn. The 4 Little and Great Egrets emerged at 6:50 from the heronry, also the pair of Shovellers were seen with a Kingfisher also noted. The heronry was very busy with lots of coming and going, presumably with hungry mouths to feed. In the west end area 3 Redwings were seen plus 5 Redpolls and overhead a surprise Wood Lark that flew towards the pumpkin field calling, a rather pleasant flight call. A Marsh Tit was on the feeders again with Coal Tit in tow. At the dam nothing of note on the water, however on the grassy slope a Jay and Green Woodpecker were joined by 6 Meadow Pipits. In the c/pk a Chiffchaff was singing as was a Goldcrest.

WeirWood was bright and sunny with patchy clouds mid to late morning and produced as follows, the Great Egret, pair of Shovellers, 7 Mandarins and Little Grebe, being very vocal. At the feeders Water Rail and lovely close views of Stock Dove under the feeders, I’ve never seen those 2 plus Pheasant and Mallard feeding together before. Also Marsh Tit was in and out the whole time. Overhead a Red Kite and 5 Buzzards were noted albeit distantly. Along Legsheath Lane a few Redwings and a Fieldfare plus a Siskin and 4 Redpolls was nice to see, I hadn’t seen a Fieldfare for a while. At the pumpkin field 8 Yellowhammers and 3 Reed Buntings were noted.

All Reservor:  12 Great Crested Grebe,  11 Mallard, 3 Moorhen.

Dam End:  Song Thrush singing, 19 Nests at rookery noted.

West End:  29 Cormorant (16 nests included on North bank side of heronry), 28 Grey Heron plus 2 young seen at a nest, 4 Little Egret, 2 Greylag & 19 Canada Geese, 1 Egyptian Goose, 6 Mandarin, pair of Gadwall & Shoveler, 6 Teal, 1 White Feral Duck, 1 Red Kite, 2 Buzzard, 1 Goshawk, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Coot, 7 flyover Common Gull, 1 Great Black Backed Gull, 14 Stock Dove flew across into a nearby field,  16 Starling flyover, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Long Tailed Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch. 

Whillet’s: 1 Water Rail heard, 3 Jack Snipe (flew up from a wet area), 1 x Kingfisher, Bullfinch heard.

Also plenty of Frog spawn seen at ponds & pools, A Comma & Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were seen & Bee flies were on the wing, a lot of Wood Anemones in flower by Whillet’s bridge.

West End :- 2 x Greylag Goose, 24 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 4 x Gadwall, 6 x Mallard, 1 x Mallard (Domestic type), 3 x Eurasian Teal, 2 x Common Pheasant, 5 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Eurasian Coot, 6 x Great Crested Grebe, 31 x Great Cormorant, 3 x Little Egret, 26 x Grey Heron, 3 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 100 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 4 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Coal Tit, 13 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 6 x Great Tit, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Redwing, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x Dunnock, 1 x Common Chaffinch, 9 x European Goldfinch