Category: Sighting

West End:- Two Reed Warblers singing at west end. One in RH sallow and the other in the willow in front of the hide. 2 Lapwing fly past.
Possibly a second Little Egret nest 4’ to the right and 4’ up but much deeper. Keep on seeing some white moving there and it doesn’t look like a heron.

All Reservoir:  19 GC Grebe, 15 Mallard, 3 Buzzard, 4 Stock Dove. 

Dam End: 15 Greylag, 23+3Y Canada Geese, 4 Canada/Greylag hybrid Geese, 2+3Y Egyptian Geese, 2 White Feral Farmyard Geese, 7 Mandarin Duck, 1 Red Kite, 1 Kestrel, 9 Hobby, 1 Moorhen,  1 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, 4 BH Gull, 2 GBB Gull, 1 Barn Owl (early morning), 17 Swift, 1 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Song Thrush, 10 Mistle Thrush flock (Nearly all Juveniles), 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, 1 Jay, 8 Rook, 2 Crow, 6 Starling (flyover), 3 Goldfinch.  

West End: 41 Cormorant, 6 Little Egret (2 seen at nest), 13 Grey Heron, 2 Black Headed Gull (At nest), 2 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 21 Herring Gull, 9 Common Tern (4 sitting on nests), 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Kingfisher. Also 1 Terrapin.   

Whillet’s:  1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler,  1 Goldcrest, 1m Reed Bunting.  

Also seen:
Animals – 2 Shrews, 2 Field Voles, 2 Grass Snakes (All noted under refugia tins). 
Butterflies – 2m Orange Tip, 1 off Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Peacock & Common Blue, 2 Green-veined White. 
Moths –  5 Burnet Companion, 1 Cinnabar, 1 Straw Dot. 
Dragonflies – 1 Four-spotted Chaser, 3 Broad-bodied Chaser, 3 Hairy.  
Damselflies – 20 Beautiful Demoiselle, 2 Blue-tailed, 4 White-legged, 1 Red-eyed, 20 pairs of Large Red, 100 pairs of Azure (very common)  
Plants: A Southern Marsh Orchid just coming into flower.

Dam End:- Still at least 4 Hobbies along the north bank and 1 over the sailing club. 2 Little Ringed Plovers on the dam, 20+ Swifts, 10+ Swallows, 1 Red Kite, 50 Canada Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese with the 3 youngsters, 2 Mistle Thrushes, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Garden Warblers but singing has declined.

West End (Late morning visit):- 6 Common Terns. Seem to be nesting on two separate rafts. Reed Warbler singing in the sallow on the edge. The pair of Black Headed Gull, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mallard. No Little Egrets. No raptors. Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush and Blackbird all happily singing away.

Dam End (afternoon):- 9 Hobbies, 2 Swifts, 3 Swallows, 10 Herring Gulls, 1 Little Egret, 1 Egyptian Goose.
West end:- 2 Little Egrets still on nest deep in middle of Heronry, Black Headed gulls still on eggs, 4 Common Terns sitting 8 birds in total, 3 Coots, 13 Mandarins 1 female with 4 ducklings, Reed warbler still singing, Kingfisher heard, 17 Great Crested Grebes.

At West End:  pair of Black-headed Gull & up to 4 pairs of Common Terns nesting on rafts. Little Egret pair are in heronry. 

2 Lesser Black Back Gull, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Reed Warbler singing near car park, 2 Garden Warbler.  3 Speckled Wood & 1 Common blue butterflies were seen.  Also 1 Hairy Dragonfly.

At Whillet’s: Green Woodpecker & 1 male Reed Bunting.

Butterflies – 2m Orange Tip, 1 Small Copper. 1 Common Carpet moth.

Dragonflies: A nice sighting was a Red-eyed Damselfly at meadow pond, a species last seen in 2022 at the pond, also at pond both Azure (c.100) & Large Red (c.20) damselflies plus 1 Blue-tailed damsel at pond and 5+ noted whilst working on North bank meadows.

1 Hairy Dragonfly & 10+ Beautiful Demoiselle at pond. 1 Downy Emerald Damselfly seen by the river.

West end:- adult male Peregrine over west end, Kestrel, 2 Little Egrets deep in Heronry, 1 Coot, 1 Swallow, Reed Warbler singing in front of hide, Black headed gulls still nesting on rafts with 3 or 4 pairs of Common Terns. 6 Great crested grebes.

Whillets:-

• 2 singing male Reed Buntings, several Reed Warblers and 2 Water rail chasing each other all at Reed bed. 3 Whitethroats, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Bullfinch.
• Butterfly’s: -1 Small Copper, 1 Painted Lady, 2 Peacock, 4 Orange Tips, 2 Green veined Whites, 1 Speckled Wood & 2 Burnett Campion.
• reptiles:- 3 Grass Snakes
• Dragonfly’s:- 2 Downy Emeralds, 1 Hairy Dragonfly, 19 Beautiful Demoiselles, 1 Common Blue Damselfly, 1 Blue tailed Damselfly, 20 Large Red Damselfly, 100 Azure Damselfly’s.

Dam end: -10 Hobbies, female Sparrowhawk carrying food, 10 Swifts, 3 Swallows, 5 House Martins, 1 Mandarin, 1 Egyptian goose, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Great Black Backed Gull, 7 Black headed Gull, 7 Herring Gull, 4 Common Terns.

West End (evening):- Still 3 Little Egrets in the heronry, 1 Lapwing on Pintail, 12 Mandarins, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Common Terns, 1 Black Headed Gull on the nest, still a Reed Warbler singing in front of the car park.