30th April 2024
Sunny spells, fresh south-easterly.
A Black Tern put in a brief highlight around 09.00 but unfortunately did not linger. The Bittern continued to boom and other counts included a drake Shoveler, three Egyptian Geese, two Great-crested Grebes, two Common Sandpipers, just two Little Ringed Plovers, seven Oystercatchers with two broods (the three on Car Park Pool and now two on Railway Pool), the Lapwing brood of four, 18 Cormorants, five Mediterranean Gulls (with the lone adult still seemingly paired up with a Black-headed Gull). At least 12 Common Terns, two singing Garden Warblers on the Old Road, and three Goosanders (two males and a female in the evening). Both Muntjac and Fox were visible in the Crop Field, and in the sunny intervals Damselflies were on the wing with four Large Red and an Azure, whilst butterflies included nine Green-veined Whites, 12 Orange-tips, a Small Tortoiseshell, a Peacock, a Speckled Wood and two female Brimstones.
Orange-tip butterfly (male) – Photograph by Bob Breach
29th April 2024
Sunny spells, fresh south-easterly.
The male Bittern was still booming in the North Causeway Bay, whilst overhead a Peregrine made several passes against the Gulls on Railway Pool but was not seen to catch anything.
The three Oystercatcher chicks were still present on Car Park Pool and there are now four Lapwing chicks in front of Oak Hide in the Marsh. Two broods of Mallard on Railway Pool had six and ten ducklings respectively.
A pair of Shoveler continued to linger.
An unexpected first-summer Common Gull was seen amongst the Black-heads on Railway Pool and there were four Mediterranean Gulls today. An Egyptian Goose and four Shelduck were also seen, along with a Mink in the North Causeway Bay.
28th April 2024
Wet and cold with a wind from the north.
The Bittern was booming again this morning, and showing intermittently in the North Causeway Bay, whilst a trickle of Swallows (at least 10) battled northwards. There were still five Mediterranean Gulls, a pair of Teal and at least two Common Sandpipers.
As the day progressed, 20 further Swallows and six House Martins were feeding in the lea of the wind over the Old Road by the Dragonfly Pond together with two Sand Martins. A Garden Warbler was in song along the Old Road, there were three Shelducks on Car Park Pool and at least nine Little Ringed Plovers. Whitethroats have not returned in great numbers, but birds have been heard intermittently around Railway Hide, the South-West Pond up to Oak Hide and the Causeway area, but there appear to be few on the Old Road itself.
27th April 2024
Overcast, showers, light north-easterly
The undoubted highlight of the day was a booming Bittern in the North Causeway Bay. The bird was apparently heard briefly last night, but was much more regularly audible today, and was seen briefly to fly from the North Causeway Bay to the Reedbed where it was mobbed by one of the nesting Mute Swans and flew back again.
It is the first spring record, and certainly the first booming bird. It wasn’t thought that the cumulative area of the reedbeds was big enough to support a breeding bird and I suspect that this is a bird entering its second year and is inexperienced.
The Oystercatcher and three chicks were still present around the margins of Car Park Pool and there was an impressive nine Little Ringed Plovers today.
Five Mediterranean Gulls comprised three adults and two second-summers and eight Arctic Terns flew over to the north-east at 11.15. There were also six Swallows and two House Martins, but hirundine passage has been poor and returning House Martins have been thin on the ground at Packington.
Wildfowl and other counts comprised six Mute Swans, four Canadas, nine Greylag, 30 Gadwall, four Mallard, a pair of Teal, 61 Tufteds, 14 Cormorants, two Herons, a Little Egret, one Great-crested Grebe, four Little Grebes, seven Moorhen, 21 Coot, nine Lapwing and three chicks in front of Oak Hide, 2,575 Black-headed Gulls with eight chicks, one Herring Gull and six Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
In the late afternoon, one Redshank appeared, there were eight Swallows and six House Martins and at least 14 Common Terns.
On a bitterly cold early morning ringing session in the Back Gate Copse, a new male Cetti’s Warbler was caught, along with two Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and a Whitethroat, but little else.
Cetti’s Warbler – Photograph by Ben Dolan
26th April 2024
Sunny spells, light north-easterly.
Three Lapwing chicks had hatched out from the pair on the island in front of Oak Hide this morning, and in the afternoon a Whimbrel was initially seen from Oak Hide but was frequently mobbed and did not linger.
In the warm weather there were 17 Orange-tips, three Green-veined Whites, a Speckled Wood, a Peacock and a Large Red Damselfly, and on the animal front a Weasel across the path between Oak Hide and the South-West Pond.
One or two Black-headed Gulls appear to be succumbing to bird flu unfortunately.
Other birds of note today comprised six Snipe, and an increase in Tern numbers to 13.
25th April 2024
Overcast and cool north-easterly.
Three Common Snipe were quite late in the season, and there was a pair of Goosanders on Car Park Pool with other birds relatively similar to the last few days.
24th April 2024
Sunny intervals, cold northerly.
The best bird today was undoubtedly an adult Kittiwake which flew north through the Reserve at 11.53 but did not stop.
In the late afternoon and early evening, a female Mandarin was found on the far shore of Car Park Pool and a Whimbrel flew east over the Car Park just after 18.00.
Common Tern numbers were up to 12 with between three and five pairs now regular on Car Park Pool, and a pair on Railway Pool in the same place as last year, i.e. in front of Railway Hide.
There were still five Mediterranean Gulls and other records today included six Little Ringed Plovers, four Redshanks, a Common Sandpiper, two Shelducks, two Egyptian Geese, four Willow Warblers in song (two on the Old Road, one in the Crop Field Oaks and one by the back gate), at least two singing Reed Warblers and two Swallows through to the north. However, hirundine numbers so far seem to be low.
23rd April 2024
Overcast, showers, fresh northerly.
There was a male Yellow Wagtail on the Flood Plain briefly this morning but, like others this spring, it did not linger. Five Mediterranean Gulls included three adults and two second-summers, and the long-staying adult appears to be mating with a Black-headed Gull.
Additional birds included four Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, two Redshanks, nine Oystercatchers, seven Common Terns, three Egyptian Geese, three Shoveler and two pairs of Teal. There was also a Shelduck later in the day and a Fox in the top corner of Car Park Pool.
22nd April 2024
Wet most of the day, cold, south-easterly moving to north-east.
Two Turnstones were new arrivals on Car Park Pool islands this morning, no doubt having been brought down by the early morning rain. One was barely emerging from winter plumage, but the other was well advanced into summer plumage.
A hint of east in the wind has no doubt helped bring these two Turnstones in, with other migrants elsewhere in the Midlands already today. They departed by 09.15.
Turnstones – Photograph by John Hunt
Small but regular hirundine passage took place for much of the day. For example, between 14.15 and 14.45 this afternoon circa 20 Swallows came and went, though four were present the whole time, spending much of the half hour perched in one of the alders at the north end of Car Park Pool, looking thoroughly fed up with the rain. Over 10 House Martins and five Sand Martins also moved through in the half hour.
The weather and the wind were clearly conducive to migration, and particularly Arctic Terns, with good numbers (well into double figures) appearing on many of the bigger reservoirs. By late afternoon it appeared that the Reserve had missed out but in ‘extra time’ six dropped in during the evening to save the day. As has become a trend, they love to feed along the north end of Car Park Pool and this evening was no exception. However, they did come onto the northern islands to rest and preen and five were still present at dusk.
21st April 2024
Sunny, cool northerly.
A Whimbrel was a new arrival today, originally on the grass to the north of Car Park Hide, before moving to roost on the Car Park islands and later, on the Railway Pool islands.
Two Redshanks, three Little Ringed Plovers, five Snipe, five singing Sedge Warblers, and the usual Garden Warbler were all in song, and Mediterranean Gull numbers increased to five, with three adults and the usual two second-summers.
A Red Kite also went over.
20th April 2024
Cool northerly.
A new Whitethroat was seen along the Old Road by the HS2 crossing, and there were two Willow Warblers on the Old Road and one by the back gate, together with the usual one in the Crop Field Oaks, and a fifth one on the Central Stream.
Other counts today were four Mute Swans, 11 Canadas, nine Greylags, three Shoveler, 25 Gadwall, 12 Mallard, a pair of Teal, 70 Tufteds, a pair of Goosanders, 11 Cormorants, three Great Crested Grebes, five Little Egrets, one Heron, six Moorhen, 18 Coot, six Oystercatchers and the three chicks on Car Park Pool, nine Lapwings, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Redshanks, two Common Sandpipers, a Snipe, 2,500 Black-headed Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls, two Shelducks, a Lesser Whitethroat on the Old Road between the Top Stream and the Flood Plain gate, two Egyptian Geese; and a good collection of insects, despite the cool weather, with 14 Orange-tips, four Green-veined Whites, a Speckled Wood, two Peacocks and the first Large Red Damselfly on the Concrete Road.
19th April 2024
Blasting cold north-westerly and periodic showers.
Cold weather and showers brought down a female Yellow Wagtail by Car Park Hide briefly in the morning, along with two Pieds, and a ‘white’ish’ Wagtail (probably an intermediate between Pied and White). When the series of showers had cleared the birds moved on quickly.
The pair of Oystercatchers on the most southerly of the Car Park islands have now hatched three chicks. The Garden Warbler continues to sing on the Old Road, with at least two Willow Warblers in song, one by the Back Gate, and one by the Car Park.
A trickle of hirundines comprised up to 10 Swallows, three Sand Martins and five House Martins. There was a Raven to the north, a Kestrel to the south, and there were at least two, probably three, Common Sandpipers on the site.
18th April 2024
Cool, northerly.
Records today were limited to a few, mostly warbler species, including at least one Reed Warbler seen from the Reedbed screen. So far, numbers for this species are slow to arrive.
Reed Warbler – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
17th April 2024
Sunny spells, fresh northerly.
A male Redstart put in an extremely brief appearance in the Copse by the Car Park feeders. It appeared briefly to Steve Bradley whilst he was in his car, but never showed again.
Otherwise, birds were similar to the previous few days, although Common Tern numbers had increased to eight.
16th April 2024
Sunny spells, fresh blustery north-westerly.
A Garden Warbler was again in song on the Old Road near the Car Park gates and further small trickles of hirundines saw four Sand Martins, a Swallow and 10 House Martins through.
There were still six Common Terns, three Egyptian Geese, 11 Oystercatchers, six Little Ringed Plovers, a single Common Sandpiper, four Redshanks, four Snipe, three Little Egrets, two pairs of Great Crested Grebes (one on each pool), nine Goosanders and the usual three Mediterranean Gulls.
A Mink was an unwelcome visitor in the North Causeway Bay, with the animal being seen in various different places, including on the Flood Plain.
In the brighter more sheltered areas, eight Orange-tip butterflies and a Green-veined White were also seen.
15th April 2024
A further increase in Common Terns saw five this morning and six in the early evening when an Arctic Tern joined them, feeding continuously at the north end of Car Park Pool, whilst the Common Terns came and went to roost on the islands. The Arctic Tern was still present at dusk.
During the morning there were four Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, seven Oystercatchers, three Redshanks, two Mediterranean Gulls, four Great Crested Grebes, an Egyptian Goose, and at least 15 Sand Martins.
Also, in the evening the Goosander total reached 16 birds (10 females, 6 males). There was a trickle of hirundines with one House Martin and a few Sand Martins and Swallows.
Also in the evening there were two Common Sandpipers on Railway Pool, a Snipe in front of Oak Hide, three Egyptian Geese on Car Park Pool and a total of 3,200 Black-headed Gulls on Railway Pool.
When the weather bucked up, and the sun came out, there were two Orange-tip butterflies and a Green-veined White seen briefly.
Oystercatchers – Photograph by Steve Pattison
14th April 2024
Sunny intervals with showers, blustery westerly.
The first Garden Warbler of the year was one seen and heard along the Old Road north of the Car Park gate (the earliest ever by six days) where there was also a fine male Common Redstart which was, as one might expect, fairly elusive. An increase in Common Sandpipers saw three recorded today and there was also an increase in Common Terns, also with three birds.
Sedge Warbler numbers rose to five, with one in the Causeway area, two singing from the Reedbed, and two by River Hide. A third Willow Warbler was also new in, this bird singing from the north end of the Old Road.
13th April 2024
Sunny spells, fresh south westerly.
Highlights today comprised of a pair of Curlews, the male of which was colour-ringed, a Yellowhammer which visited the Car Park feeder and 13 Sand Martins and two Swallows were noted over the pools. The colour-ringed Curlew was ringed as a chick at Fleet Lane, Worcestershire on June 3 2023. There have been no other reported sightings.
Curlews on Railway Pool – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
A Red Kite flew over the Back Gate Copse, and eight Little Ringed Plovers comprised four on the Flood Plain and four on Car Park Pool.
Other counts today comprised 14 Mute Swans including two sitting birds, 13 Canadas, a Canada/Greylag hybrid, 12 Greylags, two Shelduck, a pair of Shoveler, 48 Gadwall, 14 Mallard, a pair of Teal, 58 Tufteds, two female Goosanders, 12 Cormorants, two Little Grebes, four Great Crested Grebes, two Little Egrets, a Heron, five Moorhen, 30 Coot, eight Oystercatchers, 10 Lapwing, two Redshanks, a Snipe, 2,750 Black-headed Gulls, a Herring Gull and a single Common Tern.
12th April 2024
Mostly cloudy, south westerly.
There were 16 Goosanders at dawn, of which 13 were females.
A different Curlew, this time presumed to be a male, was initially on the gravel bar in the morning, before moving on. There were again three Mediterranean Gulls, whilst the Grasshopper Warbler continued to reel around the Central Stream/North Causeway area. An improvement in the weather later in the morning brought out some butterflies with six Orange-tips and a Peacock. Other birds today comprised a Mallard with seven ducklings on the Flood Plain by Patrick Bridge, two Egyptian Geese, three Mediterranean Gulls, a Common Tern, three Little Ringed Plovers, ten Oystercatchers, two Redshanks, four Great Crested Grebes and a Raven.
11th April 2024
Sunny periods, but with some cloud, south westerly.
The best bird by far today was a Grasshopper Warbler which was heard reeling around the Causeway/Reedbed area. It was, however, only intermittent.
The Goosander total reached 16, and there was a Common Tern, five Little Ringed Plovers, two Redshanks, two Mediterranean Gulls, four Great Crested Grebes and two Willow Warblers.
As the weather improved Brimstone, Orange-tip and Specked Wood butterflies were all seen.
Two Reed Warblers were singing in the evening, five Sand Martins went through and there were nine Snipe in the Marsh.
Great Crested Grebe – Photograph by Bob Breach
10th April 2024
Overcast, rain, fresh southerly.
A female Curlew was present on the Flood Plain for some of this morning, and a Common Tern appeared on Car Park Pool. Also on the Flood Plain were four out of five Little Ringed Plovers, the other one on Car Park Pool. Four Redshanks, 14 Oystercatchers, three Mediterranean Gulls, three Great Crested Grebes and a pair of Wigeon were the other birds on the pools, whilst a Sedge Warbler continues to sing in the North Causeway Bay. A Mink was seen along the river on the Flood Plain.
9th April 2024
Wet early on with a strong south-westerly.
A new Sedge Warbler was in song by River Hide this morning, and the Willow Warbler in the Crop Field Oaks was still singing away despite the conditions. However, the one in the Back Gate Copse was not heard.
There were 72 Gadwall, with all but two on Railway Pool. They were in two groups, one to the west of Oak Hide and the other in the corner near the Railway Arches, all of them feeding voraciously on some insect hatch or other. Later this number increased to 86. There were still two pairs of Teal, but no immediate sign of any Wigeon.
The Treecreeper continues to sing in the Back Gate Copse and a Whitethroat was again in intermittent song behind Railway Hide, but it remains the only one on the Reserve so far.
Other counts today included three female Goosanders, 89 Tufted Ducks, three Little Ringed Plover, 10 Oystercatchers, three Redshanks, four Little Egrets, two Herons, three Mediterranean Gulls, four Sand Martins, six Swallows and two House Martins.
During the afternoon, a White Wagtail was seen on Car Park Pool and it, or another, on the Flood Plain with a Pied Wagtail. Four Shelducks were feeding, in two pairs, on Railway Pool.
Shelduck – Photograph by Mark Waring
8th April 2024
Hazy sun, fresh south-easterly.
There were 17 Goosanders at dusk this evening, four females, four first-year males, and nine females. A female Wheatear played hard to get throughout the day, appearing first on the Flood Plain before moving to the Car Park pool surrounds and then disappearing at 11.00 before reappearing between 12.00 and 13.00, but not thereafter.
A second Willow Warbler was in song in the Back Gate Copse to supplement the one in the Crop Field Oaks. On the Flood Plain, four Little Ringed Plovers were favouring the area to the west of Patrick Bridge.
A Common Sandpiper joined 11 Oystercatchers and at least two Redshanks around the pools.
At Patrick Farm there were at least seven House Sparrows and a pair of Collared Doves.
7th April 2024
Sunny, showers, very strong blustery south-westerly.
Birds in today included a Willow Warbler singing from the Crop Field Oaks, a Whitethroat singing behind Railway Hide, a Siskin over the Car Park, four Swallows and six Sand Martins and a Common Sandpiper on Car Park Pool. A House Martin appeared briefly over the Causeway before moving north, and there was a Sedge Warbler in song there too.
A male Bullfinch showed briefly behind Railway Hide. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only location where Bullfinches have been seen regularly, and regular pairs on the Old Road are sadly, and apparently, a thing of the past.
Three Little Ringed Plovers were favouring the wet flooded area on the Flood Plain to the west of Patrick Bridge.
6th April 2024
Sunny spells, strong gusty southerly.
There were a few more Sand Martins today with four through and seven in the late afternoon, the latter seemingly local returning birds as they came in from the east and ‘pottered about’ instead of passing straight through.
A Water Rail called regularly from the Reedbed as the afternoon work party concentrated on removing self-set Alders and Willows from the drier parts of the Reedbed. Other work undertaken by the 10 who attended included some sweeping out of the hides, path maintenance, cutting back of the hedge to River Hide, maintenance of sluices and the putting out of the Tern boxes. Thanks to all those who attended.
A previous count of birds, thanks to Graham Rowling and Dave Scanlan was as follows: Four Mute Swans, seven Canadas, 11 Greylags, four Shelduck, six Shoveler, 73 Gadwall, a pair of Wigeon, 16 Mallard (but no sign of any young), 27 Teal, a drake Pochard, 58 Tufted ducks, five Goosanders, 12 Cormorants, two Great Crested Grebes, two Little Grebes, two Little Egrets, three Moorhen, 24 Coot, nine Oystercatchers, 10 Lapwings, three Redshank, 22 Snipe, 2,500 Black-headed Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 16 Herring Gulls, and a Raven over.
5th April 2024
Sunny spells, gusty southerly. Flooding again at Patrick Farm as a result of overnight rain.
There was not a great deal this morning with migration limited to nine Sand Martins and a pair of Swallows, the latter which crossed the road by Lincoln Farm and may be associated with the stables near the Aston Martin garage.
There were still nine Wigeon present this morning, along with six Goosanders, two Shelducks, 68 Gadwall, a pair of Great Crested Grebes still on Car Park Pool and three Mediterranean Gulls.
4th April 2024
Overcast, light south-westerly.
A Common Sandpiper was new in this morning, and four Blackcaps were present on site, including a singing bird on the Causeway.
There were still three Mediterranean Gulls, three Redshanks, four Snipe, a Little Ringed Plover, four Goosanders and two Shelduck.
Mediterranean Gulls – Photograph by Steve Taylor
3rd April 2024
Showers off and on all morning, light south-westerly.
There were again three Mediterranean Gulls on Railway Pool today, whilst Little Ringed Plover numbers had increased to four.
Four Sand Martins also went through and there were two Meadow Pipits on the Flood Plain.
Just after 13.00 a cream crowned Marsh Harrier flew through low over the Reserve, and then turned back and disappeared south over the Back Gate Copse.
2nd April 2024
Sunny, light north-westerly.
The morning started with a pair of Goosanders, two Little Egrets and a Redshank on Car Park Pool, a male Sparrowhawk high over Siden Hill Wood and at least five Buzzards in that direction.
Subsequently, the first two Mallard broods were recorded this morning, a group of three in the Reedbed and another one of two on Car Park Pool.
The drake Pochard continues to linger and there were 11 Oystercatchers today, with two sitting birds, one on Car Park Pool and one on Railway Pool.
Sixteen Lapwings included three sitting birds and there were also two Redshanks and a Little Ringed Plover.
Other birds making the log were two Egyptian Geese, two Great Crested Grebes, three Herons, three Mediterranean Gulls, a singing Treecreeper in the Back Gate Copse (so far the only singing bird noted on site), and butterflies comprised two Peacocks and two Brimstones.
1st April 2024
Sunny spells, drizzly, fresh south-westerly.
Today’s highlight was undoubtedly two Ruff, a male which was briefly on Car Park Pool before moving to the Flood Plain, and a female which spent much of the day on Railway Pool.
Ruff – Photograph by Martin Durkin
Two Sand Martins were brief visitors and there are now two singing Blackcaps in the Back Gate Copse.
The regular sightings of Red Kite continue with two different birds today, and there was also an adult Peregrine.
Three Mediterranean Gulls with present amongst the Black-heads on Railway Pool and waders included 12 Oystercatchers, three Little Ringed Plovers and four Redshank.
In the afternoon, in the warmer weather, butterflies included Brimstone and Peacock and the year’s first Orange-tip.