Author: Linsey Gooding

WeirWood at dawn on a beautiful calm day started at the west end. Here 38 Pochards, 5 Teal, 9 Wigeon, Tufted Duck and 5 Gadwall. Good Mandarin numbers with 22 noted, some even displaying. On the feeders as the sun came up Great spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed, Coal and 2 Marsh Tits. 2 Little Egrets left the roost and some 500 Wood Pigeons were noted overhead also several Stock Dove about. At Whillett’s a very active Water Rail at close quarters and an impressive 20 Long-tailed Tits in a tight flock. Back at the c/pk a nice female Goshawk passed over scaring the living daylights out of everything. Nice to see a redhead Goosander emerge for a while as time went on. A nice flock of 95 Tedwings in the trees opposite the c/pk these were joined by 12 Fieldfare, the highest count for me this winter. A Male Sparrowhawk passed through without catching a thing but scared everything. A Red Kite passed over also, landing in Admirals Wood. Oddly no grebes except a Little Grebe, all at the coast I imagine. It does seem odd though. Gulls were represented by and Black-headed and Common Gull. At the dam after a rather productive west end it was relatively quiet but an odd record of 2 Shelduck flying off north was a nice find. Also 5 Great-crested Grebes and 20 or so Black-headed Gulls. On the dam Grey Wagtail with a few Pieds. In the c/pk Goldcrest and Coal Tit rounded it off for me at 9:30hrs.

Afternoon at west end-20 Pochards, 11 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, 2 Mandarin, 1 Teal, 5 Coots, 1 Little Grebes, 20 Greylags, 2 Egyptians & 2 Canada’s later 2 Little Egrets in to roost.
North Bank field 87 Redwings, 3 Fieldfares, 40+ Chaffinch, 20 Goldfinch, 6 Reed Buntings, 3 Yellowhammers.
Whillet’s Reed bed-87 Starlings and 26 Reed Buntings in to roost, 3 Water Rails, flock of 12 Mandarins, 22 Fieldfares ,1 Siskin & 1 Snipe over Reed bed.
Male Goshawk displaying high over reed bed doing switch backs.
In Willows 12 Long- tailed Tits, Goldcrest and Treecreeper.

West end:
2 mandarin, 2 gadwall, 9 Widgeon, 19 pochard, 3 coots, 3 gc grebes, 1 common goosander, redkite and raven flyovers, some fieldfare seen also

32 Pochards, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Mandarin, 5 Gadwall, 10 Wigeon, 5 Coots & 1 Little Grebe

West End:- 2 x Canada Goose, 21 x Greylag Goose, 4 x Gadwall, 13 x Wigeon, 12 x Mallard, 2 x Teal, 32 x Pochard, 1 x Tufted Duck, 1 x Stock Dove, 50+ x Woodpigeon, 3 x Moorhen, 1 x Coot, 7 x Great Crested Grebe, 1 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Great Black-backed Gull, 14 x Cormorant, 2 x Grey Heron, 1 x Sparrowhawk, 2 x Buzzard, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 x Magpie, 2 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Coal Tit, 1 x Marsh Tit, 11 x Blue Tit, 3 x Great Tit, 1 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Nuthatch, 5 x Starling, 1 x Redwing, 1 x Blackbird, 5 x Fieldfare, 1 x Chaffinch

White-fronted Goose flying east over the dam (potentially Russian)

Also at the east end this morning. 4 GC Grebes, 2 Egyptian Geese, 4 Canadas, 1 Greylag, 200+ Woodpigeons, 100+ BH, 7 Common, 8 Herring Gulls, 20 Linnets, 6 Siskins, 10 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, Buzzard, Water Rail by the river near the lagoon. The 2 Avocets were still on the water near the aerator when I left..

Half a dozen Redwing, 100+ Chafffinch, Buzzard, 12 Greylag, 32 Pochard, 4 Mallard, 2 Great crested Grebe, 1 x Sparrowhawk – mystery bird below the rocks n side of Whillets Bridge just into field on right creamy diamond head – crown/crest raised – absolutely not a Reed Bunting – not a Corn Bunting looked like a Rustic & I was only 20ft away

West End:- 23 x Greylag Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 6 x Wigeon, 29 x Pochard, 12 x Woodpigeon, 1 x Herring Gull, 6 x Cormorant, 1 x Grey Heron, 2 x Magpie, 1 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Marsh Tit, 7 x Blue Tit, 3 x Great Tit

Early afternoon 30 Pochards, 2 Gadwall, 3 Wigeon, 2 Mandarins, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe & 1 Common Snipe.
50+ Redwings, 16 Fieldfares & 13 Chaffinches in trees opposite us 22 Linnets flew past heading towards stubble field.
Kingfisher, male Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper, 2 Marsh Tits and 2 Coal Tits.