Month: August 2026

Just one each of Common Sandpiper and Lapwing at W end.

West end with David and Keith 1700-1900
Little egret across from the hide and a common sand on the bank by the sand martin nest
The heronry end had a large flock of ~40 greylags and 4 egyptians, 4 mandarins, 4 coots and 2 moorhens
On the mud patch just below the heronry were 2 green sandpipers
2 mute swans were swiming the pintail end tonight, along with 6 great crested grebes
Low numbers of black head gulls this end – only counting around 10, 8 adult common terns on and around the rafts with at least 3 chicks visible tonight, a lesser black back was also out the back
Quite a few swallows and sand martins tonigt, with nunbers increasing as it got later
Keith had a kestrel before I arrived, and a buzzard was active low above the trees mobbed relentlessly by the terns
Lovely evening to catch up and chat too.

Dam end at 9.55 a Honey Buzzard high over the north bank. Three Buzzards below it in the kettle.
West End, 2 fluff ball Common Tern chicks and 5 teenagers. Bob picked up two tiny GCG chicks tucked under the south bank with Mom. One Little Egret and a Kingfisher. One Cmn Sand on the left hand raft.

Dm end from 07;15

Highlights my first Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn moving through the scrub NE corner of the dam.
Green Sandpiper on north shore feeding under willows in shallow water,6 Common Sandpipers scattered around.
217 Canada Geese,2 GBB gulls,1 LBB gull,90 BH gulls & 3 Herrings.
Juvenile Green Woodpecker and female Kestrel on dam slope.
1 Sand Martin,1 Swallow,4 Swifts and 6 House Martins noted,8 Pied Wags in Paddock.
Few Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap seen but bushes quiet.
Finally as I left a Kingfisher strangely flew through the car park.

West end

5 more Common Terns have fledged all doing short flights,2 small Mandarins with mum.
Little Egret and 1 more Common Sandpiper

Also ad Common Gull,2 Mute Swans,2 Coot and a noisy Juv Common Buzzard upsetting the Terns.

Yet another Sedge Warbler,Reed warbler,2 Whitethroats & 2 Chiffchaffs Nr meadow Pond.
Greenfinch,2 Bullfinch & Goldcrest in bushes,17 Goldfinch feeding on thistle heads.
Noticed butterflies moving NE-SW,10 Painted Lady’s & 3 Clouded Yellows.

Dm end from 07;15

Highlights my first Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn moving through the scrub NE corner of the dam.
Green Sandpiper on north shore feeding under willows in shallow water,6 Common Sandpipers scattered around.
217 Canada Geese,2 GBB gulls,1 LBB gull,90 BH gulls & 3 Herrings.
Juvenile Green Woodpecker and female Kestrel on dam slope.
1 Sand Martin,1 Swallow,4 Swifts and 6 House Martins noted,8 Pied Wags in Paddock.
Few Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap seen but bushes quiet.
Finally as I left a Kingfisher strangely flew through the car park.

Whillets
Just had a Lesser spotted Woodpecker flew across the Reed bed and land in Willows on far side.
Seemed to be with some Nuthatches,still Reed Warblers present but only saw 2.
Marsh Tit,Bullfinch,pair of Garden Warblers & 2 Kingfishers around Reed bed.

Whillet’s Butterfly’s

1 Comma
8 Common Blue
7 Gatekeeper
18 GV Whites
2 Holly Blue
55 Meadow Brown
9 Painted Lady’s
6 Small Copper
3 Small Heath
1 Small White
5 Speckled Wood

4 Grass Snakes

4 Willow Emerald Damselfly
1 Southern Hawker
2 Brown Hawker
2 Common Darter

Beautiful crystal clear and still morning, started at the west end 0600 with numerous sand martins and swallows easier to spot now that the tree has been cut down
The swan was busy at the pintail end today
9 mandarin, 5 mallards and 2 gc grebes on the water
Counted 4 adult terns plus the chicks on the raft, 9 adult BH gulls
2 raptors this morning were a kestral and low goshawk flying over the rafts which set off a lot of alarm
Reed warbler and a very active kingfisher just in front of the hide

Dam end also beautiful
~150+ BH guls, 1 LBB gull and some immature herring gulls (although still working on my gull age ID)
King fisher flew the length of the dam too which I havent seen before
2 c sandpipers and 2 moorhens on the north bank
5 herons on the dam and dotted around the banks
3GC grebes and 5 mallards on the water.