Category: Sighting

Brief stop at west end-Still 1 Common Sandpiper,1 Lapwing,3 Teal,4 Coot & 2 Mute Sean.
Kingfisher noted.
6 Common Terns now fledged 3 small chicks still.
Also 2 Black Headed Juv’s flying around, unfortunately 3rd dead on raft.

Weekly Whillets butterfly count

2 Comma
16 Common Blue
1 Gatekeeper
21 GVW
2 Holly Blue
27 Meadow Brown
3 Painted Lady
1 Peacock
3 Small Copper
8 Small Heath
1 Speckled Wood

3 Grass Snakes
Birds
2 Raven,3 Buzzard,1 Goshawk,1 Reed Warbler,1 Greenfinch,15 Goldfinches & Bullfinch.

West End:- 47 x Greylag Goose, 2 x Mute Swan, 13 x Egyptian Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 18 x Mallard, 2 x Stock Dove, 3 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Common Moorhen, 5 x Eurasian Coot, 1 x Common Sandpiper, 33 x Black-headed Gull, 12 x Common Tern, 7 x Great Crested Grebe, 11 x Great Cormorant, 7 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 2 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Common Magpie, 1 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 2 x Barn Swallow, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Grey Wagtail

WeirWood again at dawn. A lovely still day at the west end where the water was like a mill pond. The activity on the nesting platforms inc’ some smaller chicks still as well as some near fledging. An encouraging sign. On Pintail bank 2 Lapwings and 2 Mute Swans. Whilst the 12 Great-crested Grebes inc’ a half grown youngster. 5 Mandarins and 2 Teal were also seen. At Whillett’s a Sedge Warbler was in the undergrowth just over the hedge, also a Reed Warbler and 2 Reed Buntings. At the dam fewer gulls than recent days, about 50 Black-headed and 5 juv’ and 6 ad’ Herring Gulls. 6 Great-crested Grebes, 5 Common Sands scattered about and a Greenshank along the north shore. On the dam slope 11 Pied Wagtails, 2 Stock Doves, juv’ Green Woodpecker, Collared Dove and ad’ Common Gull. In the c/pk Goldcrest and a Raven over calling. Below the dam Whitethroat, 2 Jays and 4 Chiffchaffs. A very pleasant couple of hours spent.

WeirWood late morning to early afternoon dam end 2 Common Gulls 1st year and ad’, on the dam with ca110 Black-headed and 33 Herring Gulls. 2 Common Terns juv’s and a Black Tern juv’ on the north shore then flying about plus 4 Common Sands around. A Green Sandpiper was also noted flying down the reservoir on the slope Green Woodpecker juv’ and a Mistle Thrush. Below the dam a nice Lesser Whitethroat.

0730 westend
1 common sand, 2 lapwing, 2 swan, 8 mandarin some with young, 4 teal, 3 coot, 3 moorhen, 6 mallard some with young, 6 GCG, 8 c terns, only 1 BH gull away from the raft this morning, chicks still on the raft but no one minding them.

West End:- 43 x Greylag Goose, 23 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mute Swan, 2 x Egyptian Goose, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 2 x Stock Dove, 6 x Common Woodpigeon, 3 x Common Moorhen, 4 x Eurasian Coot, 2 x Northern Lapwing, 1 x Common Sandpiper, 5 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9 x Common Tern, 10 x Great Crested Grebe, 12 x Great Cormorant, 7 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Magpie, 1 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 3 x Barn Swallow, 3 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin

Just one each of Common Sandpiper and Lapwing at W end.

West end with David and Keith 1700-1900
Little egret across from the hide and a common sand on the bank by the sand martin nest
The heronry end had a large flock of ~40 greylags and 4 egyptians, 4 mandarins, 4 coots and 2 moorhens
On the mud patch just below the heronry were 2 green sandpipers
2 mute swans were swiming the pintail end tonight, along with 6 great crested grebes
Low numbers of black head gulls this end – only counting around 10, 8 adult common terns on and around the rafts with at least 3 chicks visible tonight, a lesser black back was also out the back
Quite a few swallows and sand martins tonigt, with nunbers increasing as it got later
Keith had a kestrel before I arrived, and a buzzard was active low above the trees mobbed relentlessly by the terns
Lovely evening to catch up and chat too.

Dam end at 9.55 a Honey Buzzard high over the north bank. Three Buzzards below it in the kettle.
West End, 2 fluff ball Common Tern chicks and 5 teenagers. Bob picked up two tiny GCG chicks tucked under the south bank with Mom. One Little Egret and a Kingfisher. One Cmn Sand on the left hand raft.

Dm end from 07;15

Highlights my first Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn moving through the scrub NE corner of the dam.
Green Sandpiper on north shore feeding under willows in shallow water,6 Common Sandpipers scattered around.
217 Canada Geese,2 GBB gulls,1 LBB gull,90 BH gulls & 3 Herrings.
Juvenile Green Woodpecker and female Kestrel on dam slope.
1 Sand Martin,1 Swallow,4 Swifts and 6 House Martins noted,8 Pied Wags in Paddock.
Few Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap seen but bushes quiet.
Finally as I left a Kingfisher strangely flew through the car park.

West end

5 more Common Terns have fledged all doing short flights,2 small Mandarins with mum.
Little Egret and 1 more Common Sandpiper

Also ad Common Gull,2 Mute Swans,2 Coot and a noisy Juv Common Buzzard upsetting the Terns.

Yet another Sedge Warbler,Reed warbler,2 Whitethroats & 2 Chiffchaffs Nr meadow Pond.
Greenfinch,2 Bullfinch & Goldcrest in bushes,17 Goldfinch feeding on thistle heads.
Noticed butterflies moving NE-SW,10 Painted Lady’s & 3 Clouded Yellows.