Month: August 2026

WeirWood from 16:00hrs at the west end was fairly quiet with the 4 Mute Swans still 2 small young Great-crested Grebes and a half grown one also, 16 ad’s were also around. 4 Teal and 4 Mandarins were in the narrows where 2 Snipe and a Green Sandpiper were seen. 4 Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and Stock Dove were on the small left hand point. A Grey Wagtail was on Pintail bank as was another Teal. Loads of Canada and Grey Lag Geese today plus Egyptian for good measure. Only a single Lesser Black-backed and 3 Black-headed Gulls today. Overhead 2 Buzzards, a female Sparrowhawk and a surprise Hobby flying south. Along the north bank a Green Woodpecker adult male was seen also several Chiffchaffs noted. That was about it sadly. I left at 17:15hrs.

Seems to be lots of birds around today unfortunately not at Weir Wood.
Dam end-1 Common Sandpiper,usual juvenile Green Woodpecker on grass slope,2 GBB Gulls & 37 Herring Gulls.Also a Clouded Yellow Butterfly on slope.
West end-4 Lapwings,1 Common Sandpiper 1 Common Snipe,4 Mute Swans.

2 Snipe & 3 Green Sandpipers in narrows this morning,seen by work party.

West End:- 49 x Greylag Goose, 13 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mute Swan, 8 x Egyptian Goose, 8 x Mandarin Duck, 3 x Northern Shoveler, 11 x Mallard, 2 x Eurasian Teal, 2 x Eurasian Coot, 1 x Common Sandpiper, 3 x Green Sandpiper, 8 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Great Black-backed Gull, 8 x Great Crested Grebe, 7 x Great Cormorant, 1 x Little Egret, 7 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 8 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 2 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Marsh Tit, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 11 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Western House Martin, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 3 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Goldcrest, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x European Robin, 1 x Grey Wagtail, 1 x Pied Wagtail

WeirWood mid afternoon at the west end. 3 Snipe were in the narrows plus 8 Lapwing and 2 Mute Swans. 15 Great-crested Grebes inc’ a half grown chick. 4 Teal and a Mandarin were also in the narrows plus Common Sandpiper and a whole load of Egyptian Geese 15 of them. The platforms were now all but abandoned just a Black-headed Gull around them. 2 more Mute Swans were along Pintail bank but nothing else of note. Overhead a nice fresh and clean Red Kite was always a pleasure plus a single Buzzard. At the dam 2 Common Sands and 2 ad’ Common Gulls on the dam with ca30 Black-headed Gulls and 16 Herring Gulls. 2 Great Black-backed Gulls were on the aerator with a further 32 Black-headed Gulls along the north bank. The juv’ Green Woodpecker must like the slope as it was still there today feeding well with 5 Pied and a Grey Wagtail. In the c/pk after some time spent here Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler were seen plus a calling Coal Tit.

West end

2 Common Snipe,3 Lapwings,3 Teal,6 Mandarin,4 Coot,1 Mediterranean Gull flew west,5 Swallows,1 Sand Martin,2 Mute Swans,1 Kestrel.
Dam end
1 Common Sandpiper,2 Lapwings,1 female Yellow wagtail on water tower then flew south,3 young Kestrels on dam slope,9 Swifts,3 Sand Martins 25 House Martins,5 Swallows,35 Great Crested grebes,2 Mute Swans,1 GBB gulls.

West end

7 Common Snipe feeding on mud under Heronry,4 Teal,2 Lapwing, Kingfisher,GBB gull,Great crested Grebe with 4 small young,3 Mandarin,5 Mute Swans,10 Egyptians,160 Canadas,70 Greylags 36 Mallards & 3 Coots.
Lay-by

4 Willow warbler,10 Chiffchaffs,2 Blackcap,1 Marsh Tit.
Whillets

3 Whitethroats,Marsh Tit,1 Greenfinch,3 Bullfinches & Kestrel.

Brown Hairstreak & Hummingbird Hawk Moth was nice plus 2 Holly Blues.

This morning at dam end-2 Common Sandpipers,2 GBB gulls,32 GC Grebes,4 Teal,2 juvenile Kestrels,10 Pied Wags,2 Starlings,5 Blackcaps in elder bushes and maybe my last Swift of the year over mid reservoir.
West end-1 Common Snipe under Heronry,1 Common Sandpiper north shore,1 Lapwing,2 Coots,3 Teal,1 Common Tern,8 House Martins,6 Seallows,15 Egyptians.
Lay-by 1 Reed Warbler,1 Willow Warbler,6 Chiffchaffs,4 Blackcaps and a male House Sparrow in field below school,
Whillets-1 Reed Warbler,5 Greenfinch,2 Jays,1 Kestrel.

Butterfly

10 Small Copper
10 GVW
1 Painted Lady
3 Small Heath
5 Meadow Brown
3 Common Blue

90% site had a male Southern migrant hawker over meadow pond, but not 100.% as it just wouldn’t land to clinch ID.

WeirWood at the dam late morning. Not a great deal about at first. 2 ad’ Great Black-backed Gulls amongst the 30 or so Black-headed and few Herring Gulls. However 3 Mediterranean Gulls flew in making one hell of a din, all 2nd winters unusually. Flew around for 10mins then flew off east. 3 Common Sands were scattered around the edges with none on the dam, a Kingfisher flew past and a Grey Wagtail was noted. Several Barn Swallows were moving through with a House and 2 Sand Martins in tow. On the slope, yes a juv’ Green Woodpecker again but that was all. In the c/pk Goldcrest and a few Chiffchaffs. No raptors though today.

West End:- 50 x Greylag Goose, 11 x Canada Goose, 5 x Mute Swan, 9 x Egyptian Goose, 8 x Mandarin Duck, 38 x Mallard, 2 x Stock Dove, 1 x Collared Dove, 5 x Common Moorhen, 3 x Eurasian Coot, 12 x Northern Lapwing, 1 x Common Sandpiper, 14 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x Common Tern, 9 x Great Crested Grebe, 6 x Great Cormorant, 9 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 2 x Carrion Crow, 23 x Barn Swallow, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin, 3 x Grey Wagtail