31st July 2024
Sunny, still hot.
The first returning Snipe of the ‘autumn’ was seen in the Marsh area and there were two Common Sandpipers present. Ten Little Grebes, three Shoveler, five Little Egrets, a new Tufted brood of four on Railway Pool, a Common Tern south at 09.10 and an adult Chiffchaff feeding three juveniles on the Railway Embankment, plus 22 House Martins feeding over Siden Hill Wood were the best of the other records.
30th July 2024
Sunny, light northerly, hot.
Greylag and Canada numbers continue to increase in their post-breeding flocks with 188 of the former and 57 of the latter. There were a pair of Shoveler, 26 Teal, three Little Egrets, 11 Little Grebes with the brood on Car Park Pool seemingly down to two. There was a single Great Crested Grebe, a hunting juvenile Peregrine, one Common Sandpiper and five Heron.
29th July 2024
No records.
28th July 2024
Sunny.
A juvenile Cetti’s Warbler was today’s highlight, seen from the path to Car Park Hide. It is not clear whether this was a fledged bird from one of the pair around the Causeway area, or from the pair on the north side of Car Park Pool.
A Green Sandpiper was present around the Car Park Pool margins, along with three Little Egrets. Two juvenile Green Woodpeckers by Railway Hide proved breeding in this area which seems to be the favoured spot for the species.
There was still a Marbled White present.
27th July 2024
Sunny spells, light south-westerly.
Two Ravens flew over early on, and a pair of Hobbies were present hunting over Car Park Pool around lunchtime when six Swifts also flew over.
Other counts included nine Mute Swans, 18 Canadas, 93 Greylags, 25 Gadwall and two broods, 54 Mallard, 33 Teal, seven Tufteds, 12 Cormorants, a Heron, four Little Egrets, a Great Crested Grebe, 13 Little Grebes, 13 Moorhen, 81 Coot, 48 Lapwing, four Black-headed Gulls, 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Kestrel.
26th July 2024
Sunny spells, light westerly.
Thirteen Little Grebes today, the best count so far this autumn, included nine adults, four fledged juveniles, probably from off site, and a brood of three on Car Park Pool. There were three Little Egrets, a single Common Sandpiper, 28 Teal and an Oystercatcher. There was just one Great Crested Grebe this morning.
25th July 2024
Sunny periods, light southerly.
24th July 2024
Overcast, light showers, light southerly.
An increase in Little Grebes saw 12 on site this morning with eight adults, four juveniles and a new brood of three around the outer part of the North Causeway Bay. A Green Sandpiper was feeding on the margins of Car Park Pool and then presumably the same bird on Railway Pool. There was a single Common Sandpiper again, but these two species do tend to come and go from the river. A single Oystercatcher was still present and there was an adult b feeding two juveniles by River Hide. There is a good density of this species in that area and they seem to be having a good season.
23rd July 2024
Sunny spells after overnight rain, light northerly.
A Great White Egret was present and the Little Egret count had increased to six this morning. Greylag numbers were also up with 127 and Teal numbers up to 27. A Kingfisher was seen again flying north on Railway Pool. There was also a single Common Sandpiper.
22nd July 2024
Overcast with occasional sunny spells, breezy south-westerly.
A Great White Egret was back on site again along with its regular companions of three Little Egrets. Four Gadwall broods comprised one of four on Car Park Pool, a four and a three on Railway Pool where there was a now a fully-fledged juvenile. The young Little Grebe on Reedbed has now fledged.
21st July 2024
Sunny periods, light winds.
Not a great deal to report this morning aside from one Great White Egret, two Common Sandpipers, two Little Egrets and a pair of Ravens over.
20th July 2024
Overcast, fresh south-westerly.
Nine Mute Swans, 24 Canadas, a Canada/Greylag gosling, 43 Greylag, 20 Gadwall and two broods, 23 Teal, 65 Mallard, 20 Tufteds, 10 Cormorants, two Little Grebes, two Little Egrets, two Herons, 60 Moorhen, 17 Coot, three Oystercatchers, 53 Lapwing, a single Common Sandpiper, just three Black-headed Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two Kingfishers north over Car Park Pool were the comprehensive morning count.
19th July 2024
Sunny, hot, light southerly.
There were just two Gadwall broods present, one of four on Car Park Pool and one of four on Railway Pool. There was no sign of yesterday’s Goosanders but there was a female Shoveler and 17 Teal.
A Great White Egret flew from Bradnocks Marsh into the scrapes on Lower Siden and there were again three Little Egrets. Waders comprised three Common Sandpipers, two Oystercatchers and an adult Little Ringed Plover. There was still a single Common Tern and a pair of Great Crested Grebes.
18th July 2024
No records.
17th July 2024
Sunny, light south-westerly.
A Great White Egret flew south over Railway Pool this morning towards Bradnocks Marsh and there were three Little Egrets present as well.
Three female Goosanders were relatively unseasonal at this time of year. They were present on Car Park Pool this morning and also present was a single Common Sandpiper, three Oystercatchers, 14 Teal and a female Shoveler.
The warm weather was good for both butterflies and odonata with six Small Skippers, a Purple Hairstreak, one Small White, four Large and six Green-veined Whites, a single Red Admiral, 15 Meadow Browns, 10 Ringlets, 25 Gatekeepers and six Marbled Whites.
Marbled White – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
Odonata comprised five Red-eyed Damselflies on the Dragonfly Pond, 30 Common Blues, 15 Blue-tailed, four Banded Demoiselles, four Emperors, two Four-spotted Chasers, at least 15 Black-tailed Skimmers and 10 Common Darters.
16th July 2024
Light showers, overcast.
A female or immature Marsh Harrier quartered Railway Pool this morning, between 08.50 and 09.05 and then departed to the south.
Little Ringed Plover numbers were back up with seven juveniles and two adults and there were also two Common Sandpipers. A Great White Egret showed, along with three Little Egrets, and a Peregrine was present again. Overhead seven Swifts and six House Martins were probably early departures. A Roe Deer was seen in Lower Siden.
Later records during the day included a Weasel hunting the Causeway area, a Kestrel hunting the Crop Field and a good variety of butterflies including still five Marbled Whites.
15th July 2024
Overcast, showers, still.
A Great White Egret was back on site this morning, but Little Ringed Plover numbers had dropped to two. There were two Common Sandpipers, 18 Teal, a female Shoveler, a Raven over, three Gadwall broods and a Southern Hawker.
A late record from the log, for today, included a Hummingbird Hawk-moth on the edge of the Crop Field, and there was also a Nettle-leaved Bellflower in flower on the path to River Hide.
14th July 2024
Sunny periods, light northerly.
A Bittern flew up from the reeds in front of Reedbed Hide and flew across from one side to the other, mid-morning. There was a Great White Egret, a single Little Ringed Plover, a single Common Sandpiper, a Peregrine, 12 Marbled Whites, a Brown Hawker and two Ravens.
13th July 2024
Sunny spells, light westerly.
The full count of birds today included 13 Mute Swans, 14 Canadas, 38 Greylags, a female Shoveler, 28 Gadwall and two broods, 42 Mallard, 16 Teal, 24 Tufteds but just a single brood, seven Cormorants, eight Little Grebes (six adults and two juveniles), two Herons, three Little Egrets, a Bittern on Railway Pool, 10 Moorhen, 67 Coot, a Common Tern, 15 Black-headed Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, four Oystercatchers, 66 Lapwing, seven Little Ringed Plovers (six adults and a juvenile), one Common Sandpiper and 12 Swifts.
The warm weather was sufficient to allow butterflies to be both visible and active and included the first Purple Hairstreaks of the year (with three on the Old Road Oaks), an Essex Skipper around Car Park Pool, two Small Skippers on Railway Pool, eight Marbled Whites, five Small Whites (Crop Field), and then a single Brown Hawker on Railway Pool.
12th July 2024
Overcast, occasional sunny spells, fresh northerly.
There were two new broods of Gadwall this morning, one of four on Car Park Pool and one of five on Railway Pool. Shovelers increased to three, there were 11 Teal, eight Oystercatchers, five Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, two Common Terns, nine Swifts and two Ravens.
There was a Common Tern pair re-nesting below Railway Hide but the birds on Car Park Pool appear to have given up.
11th July 2024
No records.
10th July 2024
Overcast, occasional sunny spells, southerly.
Counts today comprised 14 Teal, a pair of Shoveler, a drake Pochard, nine Oystercatchers, 12 Little Ringed Plovers (10 adults and two juveniles), two Little Egrets, as many as 25 Swifts and 30 – 40 mixed Martins. A Peregrine also went over during the work party when the majority of Swifts and Hirundines were present.
An early shift from 16.00 – 18.00 saw three of us clear the emerging scrub from the banks on either side of the path to Car Park Hide, and then back towards the Car Park gates. A new shift appeared at 18.00 and concentrated around Railway Hide, improving the visibility and removing as much of the Himalayan Balsam as possible. Thanks to the seven who attended.
9th July 2024
Overcast, rain until about 10.00, light south easterly.
A different Black-tailed Godwit from that of a few days ago appeared on Railway Pool, but best visible initially from Railway Hide. There were three adults and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, four Oystercatchers and a Greenshank between 13.00 and 14.00 on the gravel bar on Railway Pool but, sadly, it didn’t linger.
Black-tailed Godwit – Photograph by Steve Taylor
There was a Water Rail in the North Causeway bay where birds have been largely absent during the breeding season. This may be a relocating bird from the Reedbed where a pair were present. There were only 12 Black-headed Gulls this morning and a single Common Tern. A female Shoveler was new in, there were 11 Teal and two Little Egrets. A Sparrowhawk put in a brief appearance.
8th July 2024
Sunny after a cool start with temperatures in single figures until the warmth of the sun increased.
An early morning ringing session, with three nets along the Central Stream, was rather unproductive yielding just seven birds, an adult and a fledged juvenile Reed Warbler, two fledged juvenile Blackcaps, two fledged juvenile Wrens and an adult Robin. A mobile Nuthatch worked its way north along the Central Stream and there was also a juvenile Blackbird by the Central Stream crossing.
Four Scarlet Tiger Moths showed well along the path to River Hide and there were two Common Terns and three Little Egrets.
7th July 2024
Mostly overcast with showers, occasional sunny intervals.
A Black-tailed Godwit in summer plumage was a new arrival today, spending most of the day on Railway Pool and showing very well periodically. There were two Great White Egrets on the gravel bar for about 15 minutes from 09.30 and they subsequently departed towards Bradnocks Marsh. The juvenile Mediterranean Gull was also seen along with three Common Terns, all on Railway Pool. In the showery conditions, there were at least 10 Swifts in the morning, with a similar number in the afternoon, three to four House Martins, 10 – 15 Sand Martins and a single Swallow. A flock of Starlings, including a number of juveniles, have been present around the Oak Hide feeders in the last few days, with a maximum count of 30 and half of those being juveniles. A flock of 60 Jackdaws have also been regular around the Car Park feeders.
Clouds over Railway Pool from Railway Hide – Photograph by Nick Barlow
6th July 2024
Overnight rain into the day, still.
Little Ringed Plover numbers had increased to six today with three juveniles and three adults. There were also 36 Lapwing and seven Oystercatchers.
Full counts, courtesy of Graham and Dave, were: 14 Mute Swans, 15 Canadas, 26 Greylag, 54 Mallard, 23 Gadwall and three broods, nine Teal, 30 Tufteds and two broods, 10 Cormorants, a Little Egret, a Heron, a Bittern, two Great Crested Grebes, four adults and a juvenile Little Grebe, 15 Moorhen, 69 Coot, 150 Black-headed Gulls, an adult and a recently fledged juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Kingfisher.
There were four Reed Warblers on the left of the path between Oak Hide and the South-West Pond, including one bird in song, and were presumably on the reed on the opposite side of the bank between Oak and Railway Hide. A Garden Warbler alarm called along the Causeway, there were a pair of Stock Doves on the Car Park Pool island and a single Sand Martin went south.
5th July 2024
Overcast, light north westerly.
Waders this morning, aside from Lapwings, included a Common Sandpiper and an adult Little Ringed Plover on Car Park Pool and a total of eight Oystercatchers. The Kingfisher showed in a number of locations and the juvenile Mediterranean Gull came and went. Three Collared Doves flew south over the Reedbed. The first Gatekeepers of the year included three along the Concrete Road and there were still 20 Marbled Whites on site.
4th July 2024
Initially sunny at 08.00 but cloud building from 09.30. Brisk and cool south westerly.
Waders this morning included a migrant juvenile Little Ringed Plover together with an adult briefly on Car Park Pool, a Common Sandpiper seen on both pools, a summer plumage Dunlin and a Redshank on the gravel bar but none of them lingered very long. There were also six Oystercatchers and about 30 Lapwing. In the brisk weather at least 10 Swifts, six House Martins and 10 Sand Martins came in and out, tending to concentrate over the streamline before moving on.
There was a male Kestrel to the north, and on the pools at least 60 Mallard and six Teal.
3rd July 2024
Overcast and drizzly until the sun appeared about 11.20.
A juvenile Peregrine attacked a Lapwing in the Crop Field, though the final result was not seen. The juvenile Mediterranean Gull was still present, a male Kingfisher visited the Reedbed, and a single Little Ringed Plover and seven Oystercatchers were noted.
On a full walk around at least five singing House Sparrows were present on the barns at Patrick Farm, with two further males seen just south along the Old Road. Singing Reed Buntings were present either side of the River just south of Patrick Bridge, and there were 20 mixed Sand Martins and House Martins over the streamline, along with four Swifts and a further three Sand Martins, a House Martin and a Swallow were feeding around Patrick Bridge itself. A Nuthatch showed well in Siden Hill Wood.
2nd July 2024
Overcast, fresh north westerly.
Waders today comprised singles of Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover and there were also three Oystercatchers. The juvenile Mediterranean Gull was seen.
There were six adult Little Grebes and two chicks, one on the Reedbed and one well grown individual in the outer North Causeway Bay. It is not clear whether this was a home produced individual or not.
1st July 2024
Dull, overcast, light westerly.
A summer plumage Dunlin was a new arrival on Car Park Pool and there were four Swifts over. The Bittern was again seen in the Reedbed, and there were still two Gadwall broods present.