Category: Sighting

West End:- 2 Buzzard, 1f Sparrowhawk, 2m Mandarin, 8 Redwing, 2 Kingfisher.

Dam End:- 3 Gadwall, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Geese.

Whillet’s:- 7 Spoonbill flew high west at 13:15, juvenile female Goshawk seen on three occasions causing mass panic with the pigeons, Water Rail heard squealing twice,1f+1m Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, 2 Stonechat, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Meadow Pipit, 1 Marsh Tit, 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Jay, 1 Treecreeper, 4 Bullfinch, 8 Greenfinch, 1 Goldcrest, 51 Siskin, 72 Goldfinch, 4 Stock Dove, 5 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Water Shrew, 1 Noctule Bat, 2 Red Admirals.
Dam End:- 2,604 Woodpigeon, 105 Chaffinch and 410 Starlings all flew west. 1 Kestrel, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Greenfinch, 16 Meadow Pipits, 20 Redwings, 4 Siskin, 54 Goldfinch, 3 Pied Wagtail.
Lagoon:- 1 Little Grebe, 5 Moorhen.

(10:26-11:52) Fields at West End:- 34 Pheasants, 5 Carrion Crow, 4 Magpie, 2 Woodpigeon, 1 Pied Wagtail.
Car Park:- 276 Greylag Geese, 4 Canada Geese, 11 Mallard, 4 Mandarin 2m 2f, 7 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Cormorant, 1 Buzzard, 4 Pheasants, 2 Common Sandpiper on raft, 1 Swallow, 1 Robin, Numerous Carrion Crow.

Whillet’s:- Water Rail heard at reed-bed several times during the day by Work Party.
West End:-   117 Greylag Geese, 40 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, a few Mallard and Great Crested Grebes.

West End:- 29 Meadow Pipits, 3 Starlings, 2 Song Thrush and a distant Lark ( probably Skylark) flew south after the morning rain cleared, 2 House Martins flew east.
Dam End:- 1 Stonechat, 13 Meadow Pipits around, 1 Jay, 2 Chiffchaffs, 108 Goldfinch, 4 Pied Wagtail, 1 Goldcrest, 8 House Martins and 7 Swallows flew east.

WeBS count & general bird sightings
All reservoir counts:-  35 Great Crested Grebe, 37 Cormorant, 4 Grey Heron, 7 Canada Geese, 5 Mandarin, 55 Mallard + 1 feral hybrid, 3 Buzzard, 6 Moorhen, 5 Stock Dove, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Swallow, 56 House Martin, 2 Chiffchaff.
Dam End & North Bank:-  2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Kestrel, 6 Lapwing, 32 Black-headed Gull, 35 Wood Pigeon, Green Woodpecker heard, 12 Meadow Pipit, 1 Goldcrest, 18 Chaffinch, 50 Goldfinch, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Roe Deer.
West End:-  52 Greylag, pair of Gadwall, 1 Teal, 1 Grey Wagtail, 54 Redwing, 1 Rook, 2 Reed Bunting.
Whillet’s:-  1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Nuthatch, 10 Jay, 12 Starling, 1 Greenfinch.
There was some general migration of Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Redwing & hirundines. The above counts represent the largest flocks noted.

Whillet’s:- 102 House Martins, 3 Swallows, 4 Greenfinch, 3 Chiffchaff, 7 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Goldcrest.

West End Vis-Mig:- 108 Redwing, 36 Song Thrush, 7 Fieldfare, 1 Lapwing, 1 Swallow, 4 Pied Wagtail, 7 Chaffinch, 2 Grey Wagtail, 22 Stock Dove, 44 Meadow Pipits. Also 8 Mandarin, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Marsh Tit.
Whillet’s:- 1 Firecrest, 2 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 35 Siskin, 14 Bullfinch, 6 Chaffinch, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Reed Bunting, 7 Greenfinch, 2 Kingfisher, 1 juv Common Gull over, 1 Jay, 2 Marsh Tit, 40+ Blue Tits.

This morning started with an amazing ‘red dawn’. There was impressive visible migration until early afternoon. Mostly species of thrushes, finches and Meadow Pipits.  Also a number of tit flocks passed through Whillet’s.
Just under 50 birds were ringed with Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits being the majority. First bird was a 1cy male Firecrest. Later in the day a 1cy Goldcrest. Other species included 2 x 1cy Kingfishers, Marsh Tit, Goldfinches, Dunnock, Robin, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. One of the Chiffchaffs was a control and we await an update as to when and where it was originally ringed. Some of the Chiffchaffs were carrying a lot of fat and weighed just under 9g. What a cracking morning.
(See photos).