Category: Sighting

West End:- 2 Water Rail, Barn and Tawny Owls, Red Kite, 3 Kingfishers, 3 Marsh Tits and a very late Swallow.
Barn Owl at entrance to road which goes towards Pintail Bank.

West End:- 3 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Coot, 2 Marsh Tit, 1 Coat Tit, 5 Blue Tit.
Whillet’s:- 1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 2 Water Rail heard, 1 Moorhen heard, 2 Tawny Owl heard, Green Woodpecker heard, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush heard, 2 Crow.
Reed-bed roost count between 14:30 & 16:30 ~ 81 Reed Buntings, 2540 Starling.
The early starling flocks were coming in several hundred strong. There were no big murmurations and later flocks were much smaller (over 60 separate flocks). Some birds were flying directly in singly – Reed Bunting style which needed more concentration than usual on ID for the Reed Bunting count. A Sparrowhawk showed once right at the end and silenced the Starlings as it flew over. But it did not actively hunt and the birds resumed their incessant chatter.

Whillet’s:- 74 Reed Buntings and 4,135 Starlings roosted between 14:40-16:15, 2 Water Rails and 1 Tawny Owl heard, 2 Mallard on river.
Male Brambling landed in tree next to me, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin flyover.

West End (08:17 – 08:54):- 76 Greylag Goose, Mandarin Duck, 15 Mallard, 7 Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Woodpigeon, Moorhen, 6 Coot, 18 Black-headed Gull, 2 Cormorant, Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, 3 Blue Tit, 3 Wren, Chaffinch.

Ringing in Whillet’s this evening finally proved positive; ringed a Redwing, Songthrush and Goldcrest. (Thanks to Phil Holland for all his hard work). Other sightings: approx 400 Redwing going into roost, Buzzard, Kingfisher and 4 Tawny Owl calling.
On 15/11 6 x Mute Swan flying over the reservoir – 2 x 1st year and 4 adults ~ great sight.

West End:- 5 Mandarin, 2 Gadwall, 3 Coot, 1 Kingfisher.
Dam End:- 17 Mallard, 5 Mandarin.

This morning in the Study area – 5 different species ringed, with a total of just under 40 birds. They were; Blue Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Treecreeper. Interestingly a number of the Blue Tits were adult males. One had a wing length of 67mm. The longest I have ever recorded.
Other sightings of note – 3 x Siskin, 1 x Kingfisher, 1 x Mute Swan (flyover), 32 Greylag Geese (flyover), 2 x Goldcrest, 3 x Chaffinch, 2 x Marsh Tit, 1 x Buzzard, 1 x Nuthatch, 23 x Long-tailed Tits, 5 x Goldfinch, 1 x Magpie, 1 x Jay, 36 x Woodpigeon (flyover) and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

West End:- Red Kite, 7 Teal, 4 Gadwall, Raven, 2 Marsh Tit.
Whillet’s:- 1 Water Rail.

West End:- Great White Egret flew towards Whillet’s.