Category: Sighting

Dam End: 27 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tits, 3 Jays. West End: 3 Pairs of Gadwall, 4 Coots, 2 Moorhens, 2 Mandarins, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Marsh Tit and Coal Tit on feeders.

Sightings around the reserve during the work session.
2 Kingfishers; Long-tailed Tits and Marsh Tit on feeders. A Tawny Owl flew our from 2 boxes, though it may have been the same bird. Fieldfare heard. A Mistle Thrush over the car park. Toads, common shrew, several short-toed voles and woodmice under the tins.

West End: 4 Great Crested Grebe occasionally displaying, 17 Cormorant, 25+ Grey Herons at heronry including the white leucistic Grey Heron, 2 Greylag, 18 Canada Geese, 6M+1F Mandarin, 3 pairs of Gadwall, 3 Buzzards, 2 Moorhen, 4 Coot, 2 Stock Dove, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch heard + usual birds at feeders including 5 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Marsh Tit & Coal Tit. An unusually early Daubenton’s bat seen flying low over the water hunting for insects (see photos), 2 Fallow Deer and Grey Squirrel at feeders.

Whillet’s Meadows: 1 Goldcrest and a Wood Mouse.

West End: 8 Snipe were flushed from Pintail Bank, the leucistic white Grey Heron was putting sticks into a nest so hopefully it is paired and nesting,  2 Common Buzzard, 2 flyover Fieldfare, 1 Siskin, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

West End: 4 Coots, 2 Moorhen, 3 Common Snipe, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 8 Mallard, 4 Stock Doves, 10 Chaffinch, 2 Common Gulls, 2 Buzzards, 2 Green Woodpeckers feeding in meadow on Pintail Bank.

Wetland Bird Survey

Dam End: 3 Skylarks at far end of dam wall, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Redwing, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 26 Great Crested Grebe, 14 Mallard, 25 Black-headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Whillets: Green Woodpecker, 2 Moorhen.

West End: Heronry – 35 Grey Herons with 27 occupied nests. 8 further Great Crested Grebe, 21 Cormorant, 2 Greylag, 4 Canada Geese, pair of Teal, pair of Gadwall, 5 Tufted Duck, 10 Mallard, 1F Goldeneye, 4 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 2 Common Gull, 10 Black-headed Gull, Stock Dove heard, Great Spotted Woodpecker heard,

Feeders: Plenty of Blue & Great Tits, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 6+ Chaffinch, 3 Greenfinch, 5 Goldfinch, 1 Siskin.

Theft – please can you help?
A thief has visited the site and stolen 2 nut feeders and 2 seed feeders. It seems that some people can be very mean and selfish. On Wednesday 24th February all the feeders were still there at lunch time; but by next morning the 4 feeders were missing. If anyone saw anything unusual during that period perhaps you can let us know. Please contact info@weirwood.me.uk thank you.

West End: I was taking photos of a Great Crested Grebe diving in front of the John Cooper hide when I saw a white bird coming across from the north bank. It was only when it was half way across that I realised it was a Barn Owl. I couldn’t get my camera to change focus quick enough to get a shot but it was a lovely sight anyway. The grebe must have seen it as it set off at a pace toward the middle of the water.

West End: The heronry is now moving into full swing. 29 Herons with 22 nests noted, some birds are actually sitting on nests. But later arrivals are still building and can be seen flying in with sticks. Of interest was the return of the leucistic (white) heron which was standing at a nest, so possibly paired and nesting.
The water bird numbers are still low, with only 4 Coot, 6 Gadwall and 9 Mallard noted plus a couple of pairs of Great Crested Grebes which are starting to display.
The feeders are busy with mainly Blue & Great Tits, but also Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and occasional Siskin with Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robins, Moorhens, Mallards and Pheasants on the ground mopping up any spillage. We also have singing Song Thrushes these are more obvious at Whillet’s Pool area.

West End: 3 Coots, 2F & 2M Gadwall, 3M & 1F Tufted Ducks, 10 Mallard, 12 Common Gulls, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Coal Tit.