Month: July 2026

West End:- 58 x Greylag Goose, 15 x Canada Goose, 1 x Mute Swan, 7 x Mandarin Duck, 3 x Mallard, 12 x Feral Pigeon, 1 x Stock Dove, 4 x Common Woodpigeon, 13 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Great Black-backed Gull, 8 x Common Tern, 18 x Great Crested Grebe, 16 x Great Cormorant, 1 x Little Egret, 7 x Grey Heron, 2 x Common Buzzard, 2 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Marsh Tit, 3 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird

Nice to see 3 black headed Gull chicks on the raft this afternoon,Tern chicks hiding under buckets from the sun.
Whillet’s,My first returning Sedge warbler of the autumn feeding around meadow pond, a scruffy looking adult.

Butterfly survey 11/07

1 comma
86 Gatekeepers
15 GVW
2 Holly Blue
4 L Skipper
1 L White
2 Marbled White
61 Meadow Browns
3 Red Admiral
12 Ringlets
5 Small Coppers
11 Small Skipper
2 Small Whites
2 Speckled Wood
Brown Hawker laying in meadow pond,Brilliant Emerald meadow 2 and Ad sedge Warbler by meadow pond.

WeirWood from a bright early morning at the west end. Here the 3 Black-headed Gull chicks are growing fast and the Common Terns look to be doing okay. Also of note 14 Great-crested Grebes so far and the Mute Swan. 2 Great Egrets flew over the heronry and a Little Egret was seen there, also a Kingfisher was opposite the hide. On the canoeist beach a Greenshank was a distant addition whilst on Pintail bank 2 Lapwings were present plus a male Goshawk over here briefly, chasing something. A sing juv’ Mandarin was about plus 4 Buzzards over the rocks. At the dam fewer Herring Gulls with 21 only but 150+ Black-headed Gulls and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 6 Common Sands along the north shore, none on the dam. A Hobby was a nice bonus and 5 Swifts were noted, 4 House Martins were over the dam but it was generally quiet here today.

Dam End (19:00):- 19:00

Can see just 5 Common Sandpipers on dam no other waders.

West End (19:30) – 1 fledged common Tern seen flying,3+ more Tern chicks and BH Gull chicks hatching 1+ seen.
Little Egret,Mute Swan & 4 Mandarins noted.

At Dam
end , 1 x Green Woopecker, 3 Common Sanpipers, plus two taller Sanipers disguised by heat haze far end of Dam, 2 x Swift, usual gulls wagtails plus 2 Grey Heron & 1 swallow

WeirWood on another hot day. At the west end still much activity on the nesting platforms plus 4 Lapwings, Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper noted. Still Mute Swan and 10 Great-crested Grebes. Others inc’ 2 Kingfishers, Garden Warbler and several Chiffchaffs around. A male Blackcap was seen still singing and a Reed Warbler. Moving on to the dam here still 200+ Herring Gulls also 2 Lesser Black-backed and the 2 Common Gulls again. On the dam Common Sandpiper and 3 Grey Wagtails. Overhead 3 Crossbills flew calling as they headed SW, a bit surprised to see them, also 2 Buzzards over the north ridge.

Dam end – similar to yesterday, 3 Common Sands, still 2 imm Common Gulls, good numbers of Herring and BH Gulls, 1 GBB and 3 LBBs, Kingfisher, Kestrel, Buzzard, 2 Swallows, Marsh Tit, a large Grass Snake swam across the reservoir. Very low water level in the lagoon but lots of dragons and damsels, and plenty of nice fresh Gatekeepers and other common butterflies behind the dam.

WeirWood another hot day at the west end where the terns and gulls were still in attendance. Other than that it was rather quiet with 10 Great-crested Grebes noted and a Mute Swan. At Whillett’s still 3 fresh Reed Warbler juv’s about plus a Garden Warbler seen, Kingfisher female and 3 Greenfinches. Along the north bank a Marsh Tit, Green Woodpecker, 2 Jays, Nuthatch and 2 Treecreepers. Later at the dam the usual crowd of gulls about where there were 210+ Herring Gulls and 2 2nd year Common Gulls noted, also 2 Common Sands and 16 Pied and a Grey Wagtail on the dam. 3 Black-tailed Godwits flew over headed to the west end at 15:30hrs. The Great Egret was along the north shore and raptors inc’ 4 Buzzards, male Kestrel and along the south bank a massive female Goshawk.

Dam end-242 Herring Gulls,64 Black headed Gulls,17 Lesser black backed Gulls,2 Great black backed Gulls,3 Sandwich Terns,1 Common Tern,1 Common Sandpiper,8 Pied Wagtails,3 Swift,1 Swallow.
West end 1 Great Egret,1 Mute Swan,2 Mandarin 1 Moorhen seems more Tern chicks beginning to hatch.