Category: Sighting

Dam end-Another smart looking Sedge warbler behind the dam this time in a Blackthorn bush,46 Starlings feeding on Blackberries by the Southern water building and 30+ Goldfinch on thistle seeds.
Green Woodpecker heard,few Swallows and House martins around.
Common Sandpiper feeding in the overflow with 2 more on the dam.
2 Little Egrets, 1 Great Black Backed gull, 1 Lesser Black Backed gull, 17 Herring gull and 65 Black Headed gulls.
Highlight was my first Clouded Yellow Butterfly of the year,also 5 male Common Blues and a Holly Blue.
Had Coffee and lovely cake at the cafe too.

Also going NW over the dam was this RAF C-17A Globemaster 111, heading to Brize Norton from Akrotiri .

West End:- 58 x Greylag Goose, 1 x Canada Goose, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 22 x Mallard, 4 x Stock Dove, 9 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Eurasian Coot, 18 x Black-headed Gull, 3 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 x Common Tern, 6 x Great Crested Grebe, 10 x Great Cormorant, 1 x Little Egret, 4 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 12 x Rook, 1 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Sand Martin, 2 x Barn Swallow, 1 x Western House Martin, 3 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x Eurasian Bullfinch

Also flock of 49 Blue tits,Marsh Tit,Willow warbler,5 Reed warbler including 3 fledged young,2 Whitethroats and a Green Woodpecker.
Numbers of Swallowd overhead plus at least one Sand Martin.

West end 48 species seen including 5 Kingfishers,2 Teal,3 Mandarin,33 Mallard,4 Mute Swans,1 Coot,3 Moorhen,1 Little Egret,61 Greylags,53 Canada,2 Sand Martin,20 House Martin,1 Swift,6 Swallows,1 Willow Warbler,3 Reed Warbler,6 Chiffchaffs,2 Marsh Tit,2 Bullfinch,11 Goldfinch,Kestrel,Hobby,Sparrowhawk,3 Buzzards,1 Green Woodpecker,1 Jay,18 Rooks,13 Great Crested Grebes,5 Common Terns,2 Lesser black back gulls,1 Red underwing Moth,4 Wasp Spiders in meadows.

Honey Buzzard heading towards the dam (seen from higher ground above the north bank at the west end).

West End:- 56 x Greylag Goose, 28 x Canada Goose, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 9 x Mallard, 2 x Eurasian Teal, 1 x Common Pheasant, 2 x Stock Dove, 7 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Eurasian Coot, 6 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x European Herring Gull, 2 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 x Common Tern, 11 x Great Crested Grebe, 12 x Great Cormorant, 1 x Little Egret, 5 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 3 x Common Buzzard, 5 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Eurasian Green Woodpecker, 1 x Common Kestrel, 1 x Common Magpie, 22 x Rook, 2 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Marsh Tit, 4 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Great Tit, 1 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Sand Martin, 4 x Barn Swallow, 20 x Western House Martin, 1 x Willow Warbler, 6 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Treecreeper, 2 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x European Robin, 14 x European Goldfinch

West End:- 8 x Canada Goose, 4 x Mandarin Duck, 14 x Mallard, 4 x Stock Dove, 7 x Common Woodpigeon, 2 x Northern Lapwing, 23 x Black-headed Gull, 3 x Common Tern, 13 x Great Crested Grebe, 8 x Great Cormorant, 8 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 2 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Common Magpie, 2 x Rook, 2 x Sand Martin, 5 x Barn Swallow, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x European Goldfinch

WeirWood from 7:20hrs. On a lovely bright morning. Little new of note at the dam however, just a single Common Sandpiper, the usual collection of Black-headed and an ad’ Lesser Black-backed Gull. A Little Egret was on the north shore, a few Manderin were around plus 2 Mute Swans and a family of Egyptian Geese. In the c/pk 2 Goldcrests and 2 Willow Warblers. Moving on to the west end where the day was saved when 6 Crossbills flew low SW over the lay-by. Also at last a Greenfinch at Whillett’s was new for the year here, not sure how I’ve missed them up to now. A Reed Warbler was very active in the reed bed where 2 female Reed Buntings were seen.

Weir Wood Reservoir – Dam end:- 21 x Canada Goose, 1 x Mute Swan, 1 x Egyptian Goose, 3 x Mallard, 4 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Common Swift, 3 x Common Sandpiper, 95 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x Great Black-backed Gull, 4 x Common Tern, 20 x Great Crested Grebe, 14 x Great Cormorant, 4 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 1 x Coal Tit, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 4 x Common Chiffchaff, 2 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird

Narrows family of 5 noisy Reed Warblers,2 Little Egrets and a Mandarin.
On the rafts 2 Common Tern and 2 adult and 2 recently fledged Lesser black backed gulls.
At dam 3 more adult Lesser black backed gulls and 2 adult Great black backed gulls,22 Great crested grebes,4 Common Sandpipers and 2 Grey Wagtails.
A Juvenile Green Woodpecker was feeding on the grass slope and 2 Common Blue Butterfly’s noted.Family of 5 Swallows over usual Mute Swan and 5 Egyptian Geese.
Unfortunately couldn’t find any small birds but had a look at the lovely Wasp Spider the work party found yesterday.