Category: Sighting

WeirWood late morning to early afternoon. At the west end, still the Common Terns were feeding youngsters others still on eggs, also the Black-headed Gulls were around 2 remaining on the nests. A minimum of 10 Great-crested Grebes were noted with loads of Grey Lag Geese. A single Herring Gull was making a nuisance of itself around the nesting platforms. Of note too were a couple of Little Egrets that flew over the heronry. 3 Buzzards were over the c/pk, an adult and 2 young. A Red Kite as is usual, male Kestrel and a male Goshawk over Admiral’s Wood. At Whillett’s 4 Reed Warblers inc’ 3 imm’s, also 3 Reed Buntings, Garden Warbler and 2 Bullfinches a male and female. The only surprise was a beautiful Swallowtail butterfly just in front of the hide for a moment before flying off. I left at 13:00hrs.

West End:- 104 x Greylag Goose, 14 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mute Swan, 2 x Egyptian Goose, 5 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 6 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9 x Common Tern, 16 x Great Crested Grebe, 15 x Great Cormorant, 5 x Grey Heron, 1 x Red Kite, 2 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 1 x Long-tailed Tit, 1 x Common Whitethroat

Butterfly survey at Whillets.

Comma 2
Green veined White 6
Large Skipper 21
Large White 3
Marbled White 3
Meadow Brown 96
Painted Lady 4
Red Admiral 2
Ringlet 57
Small Skipper 16

Also my first Brown Hawker of the year,Hen pheasant with 2+ chicks.

West end this evening
2 Common Tern chicks growing well,4 more Terns still on eggs plus the 2 Black Headed gulls.5 Mandarin,1 Coot,17 Mallard,54 Greylags.
19 Great crested grebes plus a chick riding on adults back.

West End:- 17 x Greylag Goose, 6 x Canada Goose, 3 x Egyptian Goose, 4 x Mandarin Duck, 6 x Mallard, 4 x Common Woodpigeon, 1 x Eurasian Coot, 7 x Black-headed Gull, 1 x Great Black-backed Gull, 9 x Common Tern, 10 x Great Crested Grebe, 19 x Great Cormorant, 7 x Grey Heron, 2 x Red Kite, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Common Magpie, 4 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 1 x Carrion Crow, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Common Reed Warbler, 2 x Barn Swallow, 2 x Common Chiffchaff, 4 x Long-tailed Tit, 3 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Eurasian Treecreeper, 2 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x Eurasian Blackbird, 1 x European Robin

Dam end this morning a Reed Warbler singing in scrub at entrance to car park.
Family of 8 Grey Wagtails on dam 2 Ads 6 young,male Peregrine flew NNW over reservoir also pair of Kestrels noted.
First returning Sand Martin ,also House Martin,Swallows and Swifts.
2 Mute Swans,Little Egret and 5 Mandarins seen.Several Whitethroat s and a Garden warbler below dam.
West end 2 pairs of BH gulls nesting with 4 pairs of Common Terns.
5th pair have 2 young.
Around 60 Greylags 27 Grebes & 3 more Mandarins.
At least 3 Reed warblers infront of hide.
Whillets more Reed warblers and 2 singing male Reed Buntings.

Yesterday afternoon the two chicks were at opposite ends of the lefthand raft (one popping its head out of an ‘air raid shelter’!) and being fed by different adults. Perhaps there have been two nests on that raft?… also a GBB Gull cruised around the west end before heading back down the res. Two Reed Warblers singing simultaneously with stereo effect – left and right from the carpark.

West End:- 35 x Greylag Goose, 16 x Canada Goose, 3 x Mandarin Duck, 11 x Mallard, 3 x Common Swift, 4 x Black-headed Gull, 10 x Common Tern, 14 x Great Crested Grebe, 31 x Great Cormorant, 10 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 8 x Eurasian Jackdaw, 2 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 1 x Great Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 4 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Dunnock

Weir Wood Reservoir – Dam end:- 22 x Canada Goose, 4 x Common Woodpigeon, 20 x Common Swift, 1 x Common Moorhen, 2 x Black-headed Gull, 4 x Common Tern, 4 x Great Crested Grebe, 1 x Grey Heron, 1 x Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 x Eurasian Hobby, 2 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Grey Wagtail, 3 x Pied Wagtail

West End:- 15 x Greylag Goose, 8 x Canada Goose, 2 x Mandarin Duck, 8 x Mallard, 6 x Common Woodpigeon, 8 x Common Swift, 1 x Pied Avocet, 3 x Black-headed Gull, 2 x Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 x Common Tern, 24 x Great Crested Grebe, 25 x Great Cormorant, 17 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Buzzard, 1 x Common Kingfisher, 2 x Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 x Common Magpie, 2 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 4 x Great Tit, 2 x Common Reed Warbler, 1 x Sand Martin, 2 x Barn Swallow, 1 x Western House Martin, 1 x Common Chiffchaff, 3 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Goldcrest, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 2 x European Goldfinch