Dam at Midday, Honey Buzzard over south bank flew west,Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and 6 Common Buzzards noted.
Not much on reservoir 1 Common Sandpiper,2 Common Terns,1 GBB gull,135 BH gull,8 Herring gull,1 Mute Swan.12 Swallows around.
Hobby over sailing club car park
Dam end-lovely bright looking juvenile Sedge warbler in the meadow sweet behind the dam, my first of the autumn. Chiffchaffs, Garden warbler, Coal tits, Nuthatch and lT tits in car park Much the same as the last few visits on the water with 5 Egyptian Geese,2 Common Sandpipers,3 Common Terns,2 Little Egrets,Moorhen,Mute swa,18 Great Crested grebes,138 BH Gulls,1 GBB gull.
Both Great spotted and Green Woodpeckers seen,3 Starlings flew NW.
Several each of House Martin and Swallows but no raptors noted.
West end- just a single Lapwing,4 Mandarins,Kingfisher and Little Egret.
Whillets-3 + Spotted Flycatchers by first meadow bridge in Alders including fledged young,2 Bullfinch,10+ Goldfinch,Common Blue butterfly.Song thrush. Also pair of Reed warblers feeding fledged young in meadow two strangely it’s more then 100yrds from Reed bed, plus Reed Bunting.
WeirWood mid-late morning arrival today. On the dam ca110 Black-headed Gulls were joined by 3 Common Sands and an ad’ Lesser Black-backed Gull. Highlight of the day for me was the 2 Honey Buzzards over the c/pk at 11;07hrs, one was very gingery bellied plus its underwing coverts, whilst the other was very pale in the same areas. Beautiful birds showing for a couple of minutes. Don’t think I’ll better that today. At the west end 8 Common Terns and a lone Lapwing again. 4 Mandarins were about plus a single Little Egret. If it wasn’t for the HB’s it would be what you call quiet.
4 Mute Swans at west end this afternoon, at Whillet’s 3 Greenfinch and a lovely fresh Brown Hairstreak.
WeirWood again from 6:30hrs starting at a mill pond like dam. Here just 2 Common Sands and a Stock Dove on the dam. Another Common Sandpiper was along the north shore. Mid reservoir an imm’ Tufted Duck? Has got me thinking, is it one or not. An ad’ Great Black-backed Gull was present too. Generally it’s pretty quiet though. Moving to the west end on the small patch of mud opposite the hide, a Little Egret, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Stock Dove, imm’ Mandarin and imm’ Teal. It’s always nice to see Red Kite, so a single bird that flew over the west end was most welcome. Still a few young Great-crested Grebes were about plus a Kingfisher.
West End:- 2 x Mute Swan, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 13 x Mallard, 1 x Stock Dove, 3 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Northern Lapwing, 15 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x Common Tern, 13 x Great Crested Grebe, 6 x Great Cormorant, 1 x Little Egret, 3 x Grey Heron, 2 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 x Rook, 2 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Common Reed Warbler, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 2 x European Robin
WeirWood again at 6:30hrs on a beautiful morning, very light SW breeze. Still a minimum of 7 Common Sandpipers today plus an ad’ Mediterranean Gull with the 90 or so Black-headed, bit of an odd record. 3 Common Terns were also noted plus 2 half grown Great-crested Grebes with an ad’. No Little Egrets or Ringed Plover so far but among the small collection of Pied Wagtails 2 Greys were present. At the west end a single Little Egret, 3 Common Terns and 2 Kingfishers. On the small muddy area opposite the hide 3 Common Sandpipers, Stock Dove and a juv’ Black-headed Gull. 2 juv’ Mandarins were present plus 2 Teal. Little else noted however.
Jonathon Ross: 9 Common Sandpipers below heronry at west end.
Alastair Gray: Only found 5 Common Sandpipers and the Lapwing mid afternoon
Work Party: A Ringed Plover and they thought up to 11 Common Sandpipers on the mud to the road side of heronry when walking down the road circa. 9:40 Also 7 Grass Snakes seen on refugia survey around the reserve.
WeirWood from 6:30hrs on an overcast day that cleared as the morning progressed. At the dam 6 Common Sands, Ringed Plover, 2 Little Egrets, a Common Tern on the aerator with 48 Black-headed Gulls, also ad’ Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls. On the slope Mistle Thrush, 2 Jays and a showy Buzzard. In the c/pk a nice close view of Garden Warbler and a singing Goldcrest. At the west end juv’ Common Tern with 5 ad’s, another 2 Little Egrets, several juv’ Great-crested Grebes and 4 Mandarins. On the canoeist beach a distant but superbly plumaged Black-tailed Godwit was noted plus another 2 Common Sandpipers and a Mandarin on the small muddy patch opposite the hide. The 2 Mute Swans remain here and as the skies cleared 2 Red Kites flew over. The Little Egrets flew off SW at 7:25hrs. On Whillett’s 3 Reed Buntings and a Reed Warbler. Then out of nowhere a Green Sandpiper excitedly appeared flying towards the river and a Lapwing flew over.
West End:- 2 x Mute Swan, 6 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 1 x Tufted Duck, 4 x Stock Dove, 7 x Common Woodpigeon, 2 x Common Moorhen, 5 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x European Herring Gull, 4 x Common Tern, 8 x Great Crested Grebe, 15 x Great Cormorant, 3 x Little Egret, 4 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Common Magpie, 2 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Coal Tit, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin
