Category: Sighting

Dam end and north bank footpath as far as picnic site. 2 Common Sands, 3 Swallows, 5 Sand Martins, 1 Red Kite, 1 Kestrel, 2 Green Woodpecker, 5 singing Whitethroat, 2 Mandarin, female Mallard with 8 very young ducklings, Speckled Wood, Comma, Orange Tip, Early Purple Orchid in flower.

All reservoir counts: 21 GC Grebe, 13 Mallard, 4 Buzzard, 3 LBB Gull, 5 Stock Dove, 3 Pied Wagtail, Chiffchaff & Blackcap song was numerous everywhere, Nuthatch & Song Thrush also heard.  

Dam End: 4 Greylag, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 White feral Farmyard Geese, 1 Mandarin Duck, 3 Herring Gull, 1 Common Whitethroat, 6 Jay, 30 nests at Rookery, 3 Crow.

West End:  35 Cormorant & 38 Heron at heronry, 18 Canada Geese, 6 Mandarin Duck, 1 Teal, pair of Tufted Duck, 1 Red Kite, Up to 4 Common Sandpiper were on a raft, 4 Med Gulls flew over, 8 BH Gull,  2 GBB Gull flew over, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Kingfisher,  8 Swallow, 6 House Martin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Marsh Tit.     

Whillet’s: 2 Green Woodpecker, 1GS Woodpecker, 1+ Common Whitethroat.

(butterflies) 2m+1f Orange Tip, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Green-veined White.  Also – 2 Grass Snake & 4 Common Shrew noted.

Dam End:- 2 Wheatear – m briefly outside the new cafe flew towards car park and I lost him. F in the horse paddock behind the dam. V quiet. 1 Red Kite, 2 LBB Gull, 1 GBB Gull, f Grey Wagtail, 3 GC Grebe, no waders on the dam, no hirundines and no Osprey.

West End (late afternoon):- 2 Teal, 6 Mandarin, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Egyptian Goose, 3 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 1 Swallow, 2 Blackcap (m&f) in car park.

Dam End:- WeirWood, another 6:30 start, calm and frosty -1c today and shrouded in mist, the dam wall being the only part viewable, here 2 Common Sands remained. So a check around the bushes and north bank was in order. No sign of the Nightingale today, a Green Sandpiper was in the overflow however, plus Grey Wagtail female. On the grassy slope Mistle Thrush and Green Woodpecker male. On the pumping station a pair of Kestrels seem at home. Along the north bank 3 Treecreepers were noted plus Marsh Tit, Goldcrest, male Sparrowhawk and seemingly several Nuthatches. As the mist slowly cleared early on an Osprey appeared over the dam catching a small fish then flying off east.

West end:- 2 Kingfishers were still at their favoured spot as the mist had slowly cleared by now. A couple of Stock Doves were looking lovely in the sunshine and several Blackcaps were present now. A few Mandarins were around whilst on the feeders both Coal and Marsh Tit were present.

West End:- 3 x Greylag Goose, 15 x Canada Goose, 8 x Egyptian Goose, 6 x Mallard, 1 x Stock Dove, 3 x Common Woodpigeon, 27 x Great Cormorant, 34 x Grey Heron, 1 x Common Magpie, 3 x Carrion Crow, 1 x Coal Tit, 1 x Marsh Tit, 5 x Eurasian Blue Tit, 2 x Great Tit, 12 x Common Chiffchaff, 2 x Eurasian Blackcap, 1 x Eurasian Nuthatch, 1 x Eurasian Wren, 1 x European Robin, 1 x Pied Wagtail, 1 x European Goldfinch

Dam End:- WeirWood from 6:30 was very productive today, at the dam 2 Common Sands and my first Little-ringed Plover this year. The first of the mornings Barn Swallows and Sand Martins were low over the water, a mix of 30 birds about with ca6 Sand Martins. A Grey Wagtail joined the 5 Pieds on the dam. On the grassy slope Mistle Thrush and a Jay. Nice to see an early Swift over the dam this morning, just looked like a Common to me. A look around the bushes by the overflow produced a non-singing Nightingale, a nice extra surprise, little else was noted though. In the c/pk Blackcap and several Chiffchaffs were in song.

West end:- here a Little Egret was still present plus 8 Mandarins, a pair of Teal and a Gadwall. A pair of Kingfishers were hanging out by the nesting bank and even a pair of Collared Dove showed up in the c/pk.

Whillett’s:- a Water Rail was heard, 2 Reed Buntings were seen and the Little Egret flew over. At the pumpkin field there were still 2 Yellowhammers present. No sign of an Osprey though sadly.

Mid afternoon 53 Swallows, 3 Sand Martins, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 LBB Gulls, 1 Egyptian Goose, 5 Pied Wags, 12 Great Crested Grebes.

Dam End:- 3 Common Sands still here. Increased to 43 Barn Swallows on the aerator plus more and Sand Martins flying around.