Month: July 2025

Tuesday Work Party had 4+ Sand Martin at West End. Whillet’s Tawny Owl was seen, also Kingfisher and Red Kite.

West End:- 2 x Greylag Goose, 4 x Canada Goose, 9 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 1 x Stock Dove, 1 x Eurasian Coot, 1 x Northern Lapwing, 7 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 x Common Tern, 24 x Great Cormorant, 1 x Little Egret, 5 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Common Magpie, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 6 x Sand Martin, 4 x Barn Swallow, 7 x Western House Martin, 2 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x European Robin, 1 x Eurasian Bullfinch

WeBS highlights with Bob J today included lovely views of a stunning female Honey Buzzard over Whillets Reed bed, which eventually went off north.
Very light fawn colour individual with dark knuckles on wings, bird in perfect condition. Not one I recognise from Ashdown.
31 adult Great Crested Grebe + 10+ juveniles, 1 Teal, 2 Kingfisher, 5 Little Egrets, 5 Mandarin, 3 Coot, 4 Moorhen, Reed Warblers, Whitethroats, Grey Wagtail, 2 Common Sandpipers, several Swifts, Swallows moving East, and small groups of Starlings South.
Sadly looks like chicks have disappeared of the left raft, probably a Great Black Backed Gull which seems to be daily seen now.
So just 1 Common Tern & 3 Black Headed gulls fledged this year.
2 Nuthatch, 2 Green Woodpeckers & Sparrowhawk noted.
Finally we saw a Hummingbird Hawk moth first I’ve seen here.

Dam End:- WeirWood early morning, 6:00hrs. Black-headed Gull numbers are increasing with 71 today at the overflow alone, also 2 Common Sands on the dam. 23 Herring Gulls were scattered around the reservoir. Along the north shore 4 Little Egrets and a Great Egret before the mist took over. On the dam slope 3 Mistle Thrushes and a Jay were noted, in the c/pk 2 Willow Warblers were seen well. Long winged and pale legged, very bright young birds too. In the overflow a pair of Grey Wagtails were seen.

West end:- the mist didn’t allow for proper viewing of the platforms but some activity could be seen with tern chicks noted. Several Great-crested Grebe chicks were noted though, however viewing was difficult with the increasing mist. One thing that struck me was the numbers of Blackbirds about. They’ve seemingly had a good spring, they were everywhere today. Along the north bank 2 Yellowhammers were seen plus a family of Treecreepers 2 ad’s with 3 juv’s. Marsh Tit and Nuthatch were noted plus male Green Woodpecker and 5 Stock Doves.

West End:- 14 x Greylag Goose, 16 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mute Swan, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 9 x Mallard, 2 x Stock Dove, 3 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Common Moorhen, 2 x Eurasian Coot, 6 x Black-headed Gull, 10 x Common Tern, 21 x Great Crested Grebe, 23 x Great Cormorant, 2 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Carrion Crow, 3 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 2 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x European Robin, 2 x Dunnock, 1 x Grey Wagtail, 1 x Pied Wagtail

Dam end:- 55 Black headed Gulls, 23 Herring Gulls, 1 Great black backed Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed gulls, 2 Common Terns, 1 Common Sandpiper , 4 Little Egrets, 50 Greylags, 1 Swift, 2 Swallows, Jay, Nuthatch & 3 Buzzards.
West End:- 2 Kingfishers, 2 Coots, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Mandarins, rafts still the same with 4 Common Terns chicks including 1 Fledged and 4 Black headed gull chicks, 3 fledged.

Dam end:- 33 Black headed gulls,2 Herring gulls, 3 Lesser black backed gulls, 1 Great black backed gulls, 2 Common Terns, 5 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons, 21 Greylag Geese, 37 Canada Geese, 1 Mandarin, 6 Great crested grebes, 13 Mallards, 2 Pied Wagtails.
West end:- left raft still has 1 Black head gull chick and Terns have 2 tiny chicks, sadly no sign of any Tern chicks on back raft, still 3 fledged Black headed gulls flying around, 2 Kingfishers taking small fish regular to nest, several Reed Warblers in front of hide, Tufted Duck, 2 Coot, 2 Mute Swans, 6 mandarins +1 young.
Whillet’s: – Yellowhammer singing, Reed Bunting singing and Reed warblers at Reed bed.

West end (7pm):- Great white Egret, 13 Mandarins and Fledged Common Tern back flying around with adults.
The 2 Tern chicks & 1 BH chick made it through the thunder storms.

West end (mid afternoon):- only one Tern chick noted which did couple of short flights. Still the three fledged BH gulls and other pair still have just the one chick. 4 Little Egrets, 1 Lapwing, 1 Tufted Duck, 4 Mandarin, 2 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 2 Mute Swans, 12 adult Great Crested grebes + 10 young. Male Blackcap noted.

Butterflies- 1 Purple Emperor, 2 Purple Hairstreaks, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Comma, 8 Large Whites.

West End:- 19 x Greylag Goose, 13 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 16 x Mallard, 1 x Tufted Duck, 1 x Common Pheasant, 1 x Stock Dove, 5 x Common Woodpigeon, 3 x Eurasian Coot, 5 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x European Herring Gull, 10 x Common Tern, 18 x Great Crested Grebe, 16 x Great Cormorant, 2 x Little Egret, 7 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 x Common Magpie, 2 x Carrion Crow, 4 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Common Reed Warbler, 5 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Blackcap, 2 x Eurasian Wren, 3 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin, 1 x Dunnock, 1 x Pied Wagtail, 2 x European Goldfinch

WeirWood from 6:15 on a beautiful sunny morning. At the dam Common Sandpiper, Little-ringed Plover, Little Egret and a Stock Dove on the dam. A further 3 Little Egrets on the north shore plus another Common Sandpiper. On the aerator 14 Black-headed Gulls again and a Common Gull with an imm’ Herring Gull. An ad’ Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the water and a few Common Terns were noted.

At the west end all was well on the nesting platforms today with fledgling Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls all having done well. 3 Black-headed Gull chicks and 4 Common Terns plus 9 Great-crested Grebe chicks were present and the second pairs of gulls and terns were still sitting. It was a very busy area around the platforms. Other birds inc’ both Marsh and Coal Tits in the c/pk area and a Whitethroat. Overhead 2 Buzzards were the only raptors noted. A further 2 Little Egrets were seen and 4 Stock Doves were noted. All very much the same as the last few days here, enjoyable though.