Category: Sighting

West End:- 104 x Greylag Goose, 14 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mute Swan, 2 x Egyptian Goose, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 6 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9 x Common Tern, 16 x Great Crested Grebe, 15 x Great Cormorant, 5 x Grey Heron, 1 x Red Kite, 2 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Common Whitethroat

Butterfly survey at Whillets.

Comma 2
Green veined White 6
Large Skipper 21
Large White 3
Marbled White 3
Meadow Brown 96
Painted Lady 4
Red Admiral 2
Ringlet 57
Small Skipper 16

Also my first Brown Hawker of the year,Hen pheasant with 2+ chicks.

West end this evening
2 Common Tern chicks growing well,4 more Terns still on eggs plus the 2 Black Headed gulls.5 Mandarin,1 Coot,17 Mallard,54 Greylags.
19 Great crested grebes plus a chick riding on adults back.

West End:- 17 x Greylag Goose, 6 x Canada Goose, 3 x Egyptian Goose, 4 x Mandarin Duck, 6 x Mallard, 4 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Eurasian Coot, 7 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Great Black-backed Gull, 9 x Common Tern, 10 x Great Crested Grebe, 19 x Great Cormorant, 7 x Grey Heron, 2 x Red Kite, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Common Magpie, 4 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 1 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Common Reed Warbler, 2 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 4 x Long-tailed Tit, 3 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Eurasian Treecreeper, 2 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin

Dam end this morning a Reed Warbler singing in scrub at entrance to car park.
Family of 8 Grey Wagtails on dam 2 Ads 6 young,male Peregrine flew NNW over reservoir also pair of Kestrels noted.
First returning Sand Martin ,also House Martin,Swallows and Swifts.
2 Mute Swans,Little Egret and 5 Mandarins seen.Several Whitethroat s and a Garden warbler below dam.
West end 2 pairs of BH gulls nesting with 4 pairs of Common Terns.
5th pair have 2 young.
Around 60 Greylags 27 Grebes & 3 more Mandarins.
At least 3 Reed warblers infront of hide.
Whillets more Reed warblers and 2 singing male Reed Buntings.

Yesterday afternoon the two chicks were at opposite ends of the lefthand raft (one popping its head out of an ‘air raid shelter’!) and being fed by different adults. Perhaps there have been two nests on that raft?… also a GBB Gull cruised around the west end before heading back down the res. Two Reed Warblers singing simultaneously with stereo effect – left and right from the carpark.

West End:- 35 x Greylag Goose, 16 x Canada Goose, 3 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 3 x Common Swift, 4 x Black-headed Gull, 10 x Common Tern, 14 x Great Crested Grebe, 31 x Great Cormorant, 10 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 8 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 2 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Great Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 4 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Dunnock

Weir Wood Reservoir – Dam end:- 22 x Canada Goose, 4 x Common Woodpigeon, 20 x Common Swift, 1 x Common Moorhen, 2 x Black-headed Gull, 4 x Common Tern, 4 x Great Crested Grebe, 1 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Eurasian Hobby, 2 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Grey Wagtail, 3 x Pied Wagtail

West End:- 15 x Greylag Goose, 8 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 8 x Mallard, 6 x Common Woodpigeon, 8 x Common Swift, 1 x Pied Avocet, 3 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 x Common Tern, 24 x Great Crested Grebe, 25 x Great Cormorant, 17 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 x Common Magpie, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 4 x Great Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Sand Martin, 2 x Barn Swallow, 1 x Western House Martin, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 3 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Goldcrest, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 2 x European Goldfinch

WeirWood from a chilly dawn. At the west end at least 4 Common Terns and 2 Black- headed Gulls on their platforms. Some of the 17 Great-crested Grebes still weed dancing this morning and 3 Reed Warblers singing from in front of the hide and lay-by. At Whillett’s 3 more Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 2 male Reed Buntings, 3 Greenfinches and a Marsh Tit. Moving to the dam in the c/pk the usual Goldcrest and Coal Tit plus male Bullfinch, Red-legged Partridge and a family of Jays inc’ 4 juv’s in the 20mins spent there. On the dam Grey Wagtail male with 5 Pied and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls. Over the dam a few House Martins and a good 200 Swifts with another 70 mid reservoir. 3 Common Terns were noted and on the aerator 2 ad’ Herring Gulls. Bird of the day would probably by the Great Egret seen for 15mins along the north bank, until from out of nowhere a summer plumage Grey Plover flew in, I could hear it calling and then it dropped on the to the small patch of mud opposite the grassy bank, only my 5th record here. Super looking bird in this summer plumage. It was still present at 7:10hrs. A further 10 Great-crested Grebes were seen. Raptors inc’ Red Kite as seemingly normal and 2 Buzzards. I then took a look along the north bank. Along the footpath still plenty of song from various species but nothing really notable other than Nuthatches, Treecreeper and Bullfinches again. A much better day than yesterday’s effort when it was very quiet. I left at 8:10hrs