Month: September 2026

Whinchat just now by meadow pond at Weir Wood 🙂

Reported by John Edwards, work party

West End:- 58 x Greylag Goose, 2 x Canada Goose, 1 x Mute Swan, 7 x Egyptian Goose, 43 x Mallard, 7 x Eurasian Teal, 2 x Stock Dove, 3 x Common Moorhen, 3 x Eurasian Coot, 1 x Northern Lapwing, 1 x Common Snipe, 1 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Little Grebe, 12 x Great Crested Grebe, 8 x Great Cormorant, 8 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 x Common Magpie, 3 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 4 x Rook, 3 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 2 x European Robin, 1 x Grey Wagtail

West end: I have a wood sandpiper under the heronry this evening

Also had a hobby fligh over – several king fishers – and the little grebe is our and about

WeBS count today.
All reservoir Dam & West counts: 43 GC Grebe, 14 Cormorant, 18 Grey heron, 2 Mute Swan, 13 Egyptian Geese, 49 Mallard, 1 domestic Mallard, 2,Common Sandpiper.
Dam End: 6 Canada Geese, 94 B H Gull, 2 GBB & 3 Herring Gulls, 2 Swallow, 10 Pied Wagtail, 2 Jay,
West End: 1 Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 88 Greylag, 1 White domestic Greylag, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Buzzard, 5 Moorhen, 2 Coot, 1 Lapwing, 1 C Snipe, 1 Grey Wagtail.
Whillet’s was quiet, nothing of note seen for WeBS.

WeirWood late afternoon at the dam. Nice to see a juv’ Wheatear briefly on top of the dam before it flew towards the paddock, also 72 Black-headed, 4 Herring, a Common Gull and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls. Several Pied and 2 Grey Wagtails on the dam concrete. 12 Great-crested Grebes also scattered around. At the west end a further 14 Great-crested and a single Little Grebe. The only waders were a single Lapwing, Snipe and Common Sandpiper. Overhead 3 Buzzatds in the lovely sunshine and a juv’ female Goshawk flew low over the left hand point. Just one Mute Swan today.

West End

Much the same with 1 Snipe,1 Lapwing,1 Teal,2 Coot,2 Mute Swans,1 Little Grebe,9 Grey Herons,9 Egyptians,3 Jays,2 Nuthatch,10 Long tailed tits.
Whillets
5 Jays making a right racket in the back hedge eventually a Barn Owl flew out and looked to have flown into box by meadow pond1 Mandarin there.
7 Greenfinch 1 Bullfinch,1 Chaffinch,4 Blackcap,4 Chiffchaffs,4 Blackbirds & 3 Song Thrushes in hedges.
2 Great spotted Woodpeckers,2 Swallows,12 Black headed Gulls & 2 Kestrels flew over.
Butterfly count

13 Small Copper
3 Speckled Woods
1 GVW
1 Painted Lady
1 Red Admiral
1 Common Blue

West End:- 1 x Mute Swan, 4 x Egyptian Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 23 x Mallard, 1 x Eurasian Teal, 1 x Common Pheasant, 2 x Stock Dove, 6 x Common Moorhen, 2 x Eurasian Coot, 1 x Northern Lapwing, 1 x Common Snipe, 2 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x European Herring Gull, 1 x Little Grebe, 5 x Great Crested Grebe, 3 x Great Cormorant, 9 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Kestrel, 4 x Common Magpie, 4 x Rook, 3 x Carrion Crow, 5 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 2 x Great Tit, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 5 x Long-tailed Tit, 2 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 2 x European Robin, 1 x Dunnock, 2 x Grey Wagtail

Only thing new at the west end early afternoon was a Little Grebe.
Still 1 Common Sandpiper,1 Lapwing,1 Teal,4 Coot 1 Mute Swan,7 Moorhens and some Chiffchaffs.
Large Red-eard terrapin opposite on log.

Also my first Brown Hare ran across road into field behind study area.

WeirWood at the sunny dam there was a Raven feeding on the dam with 2 Carrion Crows nearby for comparison plus 23 Black-headed Gulls but no waders. A further 14 Black-headed Gulls were scattered around as were 19 Great-crested Grebes. At the west end a further 11 Great-crested Grebes were noted plus 3 Mandarins and just 1 Teal, a Lapwing, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Grebe. A couple of Kingfishers flew around for a while also 4 Stock Doves. Overhead this afternoon 3 Buzzards and as almost expected a Red Kite.

Dam end after the rain and the raptors came out 5 Common Buzzards,Red Kite,Kestrel,Sparrowhawk and last bird of the afternoon was a Honey Buzzard which flew low over the dam 17:27.
2 Common Sandpipers,3 GBB Gulls,9 Egyptians,8 Pied Wags and 1 Grey Wag on the dam.
46 Mallards,2 Mandarins & 5 Moorhens on north bank.
In the bushes 10 Chiffchaffs,1 Willow Warbler,Treecreeper & 6 Long tailed Tits.

West End:- 2 x Mute Swan, 7 x Mandarin Duck, 27 x Mallard, 3 x Eurasian Teal, 7 x Common Woodpigeon, 4 x Common Moorhen, 2 x Eurasian Coot, 3 x Northern Lapwing, 1 x Common Snipe, 2 x Common Sandpiper, 2 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Little Grebe, 6 x Great Crested Grebe, 7 x Great Cormorant, 3 x Grey Heron, 4 x Rook, 2 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 7 x Sand Martin, 150 x Barn Swallow, 150 x Western House Martin, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 2 x European Robin, 1 x Dunnock, 1 x Grey Wagtail