Note: A Goldfinch, D788283, ringed at a Marsh Lane Reserve feeder on the 28th December 2013 was found dead at Birchfield, Hope, Derbyshire (SK1784) on the 26th May 2016. Thank you to David Stone for the information.
31st August 2016
Sunny intervals a.m., clouding over late morning, light south-westerly wind.
Hirundine passage was again obvious this morning. A relatively late push of Sand Martins moving south with both Swallows and House Martins. Counts this morning between 7.50 and 9 a.m. were as follows:
7.50 to 8 am., nine Sand Martins and a Swallow;
8.45 am., eight House Martins and singles of Sand Martin and Swallow through;
8.50 am., three more Sand Martins and a Swallow; and
8.58 am., 30 hirundines of which 20 were House Martins and seven each were Sand Martins and Swallows.
After that, the passage continued though with no specific counts, few House Martins but an even balance of Sand Martins and Swallows.
The long-staying Wheatear remained to the left of Car Park Hide and there are still plenty of Chiffchaffs about with at least six between the back gate copse and the car park. Other warblers included two Reed Warblers in front of the north causeway hide, a Whitethroat just behind it, a Sedge Warbler by Oak Hide and a Garden Warbler in a large Tit flock around the car park, that flock including 15 Long-tailed Tits. There were singles of Little Egret and Common Sandpiper on the pool margins and a Wigeon amongst the wildfowl on the pools.
Over the lunch period there was a flock of 400 to 500 mixed corvids on the flood plain which included a small number of Rooks. There was at least three Chiffchaffs south of the pumping station but no sign of any Redstarts.
In the evening, a flock of mostly Swallows gathered over the car park area and slowly formed a tighter and tighter flock before an estimated 250 to 300 Swallows and Sand Martins roosted in the small pond by the car park itself. At least 175 birds were counted actually perched on the reeds. The majority were Swallows but probably 20 to 30 Sand Martins as well. On the pools, other than a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, birds were similar to earlier in the day although Mute Swan numbers have risen to 30. About 25 Starlings roosted in the Reedbed.
30th August 2016
Sunny and warm, south-westerly wind.
Water Rails appear to have bred in the Marsh again with a juvenile seen from the north causeway screen this morning. There was a Green Sandpiper on the river by Patrick Bridge and along the Old Road at least three Chiffchaffs, Whitethroat and Goldcrest. Hobbies again performed over the pools during the day and the long-staying Wheatear remained, favouring the log pile to the left of Car Park Hide.
A Peregrine was seen during the afternoon along with a Common Sandpiper and at least one Little Egret.
29th August 2016
Sunny, light northerly wind.
The Wheatear continued to enjoy the habitat around Car Park Hide and I think is the longest staying bird we have ever had. Single Common and Green Sandpipers were on the pool margins along with two Little Egrets and more unusual was a juvenile Shelduck on Car Park Pool. Lingering warblers included Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat and a Stoat showed well again in the Marsh.
Two Hobbies, one an adult and one a juvenile, were seen over Car Park Pool during the day.
28th August 2016
Sunny intervals, occasional showers, westerly wind.
Redstart – August 28th 2016 – Photograph by Nick Barlow
Both the Wheatear, and the Redstart on the flood plain, remained and, on the pools, there were three Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper with perhaps a second bird on Dragonfly Pool.
Two Kingfishers showed well along the ditches along the flood plain with presumably a third bird, seen from the Causeway Hide, along with a Water Rail. 25 to 30 each of Swallows and House Martins were feeding around the farm but appeared to be lingering breeders rather than migrants.
Other birds in the flood plain hedges included ten Goldfinches, at least three Greenfinches, three Blackaps, four Chiffchaffs, a Nuthatch, Goldcrest, and Bullfinch. There was also a Rook amongst the Jackdaws.
As the day progressed, at least one Hobby was seen regularly hawking Dragonflies over the pools. There were at least two Little Egrets on site and the Shoveler count increased to 40. There were also 25 Mute Swans, three Snipe and two Pochard.
27th August 2016
Mostly overcast with periodic heavy showers, northerly wind.
In the first of the heavy rain showers at 9.15, four juvenile Black Terns came in to Car Park Pool and stayed until 12.15 when they were driven off by, of all things, a Hobby. Two Greenshank also appeared on Car Park Pool at 10.15 and they stayed for half an hour. Only the second Wigeon of the summer was a new overnight arrival and there was a drake Pochard.
Other quality came in the shape of a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, a Redstart still on the flood plain, the linger Wheatear around Car Park Hide, whilst other counts were as follows: 22 Mute Swans, the Black Swan, 258 Greylags, the Greylag / Canada cross, four Canadas, 53 Great Gadwall, 49 Teal, 59 Mallard, 26 Shoveler, 29 Tufted and nine broods of 34 ducklings, 14 Cormorants, two Herons, four Little Egrets which flew over at dawn, having presumably roosted nearby, six adult Little Grebes and the youngster on Car Park Pool, 19 Moorhen, 82 Coot, 46 Black-headed Gulls, nine Lesser Black-backed Gulls, two Common Sandpipers and 29 Lapwing.
Song Thrush showing the orangey / red under-wing coverts
Photographs by Nick Barlow – August 27th 2016
Greenshanks – August 27th 2016
Photograph by Don Sutherland
Black Tern – August 27th 2016
Photograph by Don Sutherland
26th August 2016
Dry and sunny.
A few more birds post yesterday’s rain, including an accommodating Wheatear around Car Park Hide favouring the log piles under the oak trees, just to the left of the hide but occasionally moving to the shore of the islands or to the car park.
North of Car Park Pool, as viewed best through the gate on the Old Road, there were two Redstarts in the thorn bushes on the flood plain. (To see these, walk north from the car park gates and through the first gate on the Old Road, reach the next gateway on the left looking across the flood plain and one was in the thorns straight opposite the gate with a second more distantly towards the mobile phone mast). They were both female or juvenile types. The brash pile in the horse paddock, opposite this gateway, was lively with common birds and warblers, both yesterday and today. A Stoat was working the concrete road this morning and was climbing up the bushes in search of food.
On the pool margins, there were three Little Egrets, two Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher and Hobby.
Swallows and Sand Martins started moving from about 5 pm., with 30 to 40 of the former and ten to 15 of the latter, and a single House Martin through by 6 pm. Overnight, an estimated 400 Swallows and 70 Sand Martins roosted in either the Reedbed or the pond by the car park with the majority of the Sand Martins in the latter. Of these, 67 Swallows and 25 Sand Martins were caught. 60 of the Swallows and 19 of the Sand Martins were juveniles and one of the Swallows included a bird caught elsewhere in the UK. In addition, two Sand Martins previously caught in the quarries at Meriden earlier this year were re-trapped together with a Sand Martin that was previously ringed in the Reedbed on the 11th August.
The ringers also undertook ringing in the back gate copse on the evening of the 26th and of the morning of the 27th and birds caught were as follows: two juvenile Garden Warblers, 12 juvenile Blackcaps plus a bird previously caught there on the 11th August, four Blue Tits, three Great Tits, six Robins, two juvenile Bullfinches, nine Reed Buntings of which five were juveniles, three Reed Warblers of which two were juveniles, four Wrens of which three were juveniles, seen juvenile Chiffchaffs, seven juvenile Sedge Warblers and a juvenile Song Thrush. A Lesser Whitethroat which was also caught on the 11th August was re-trapped.
One of the Chiffchaffs was particularly yellow underneath and on the supercilium and photographs of this bird are shown below. On the off-chance that it might be an Iberian Chiffchaff breast feathers that were shed in the ringing process will be sent off for DNA analysis.
A very yellow “Chiffchaff”
Photographs by Nick Barlow – August 26th 2016
Wheatear – 26th August 2016 – Photograph by Nick Barlow
Swallow – August 26th 2016 -photograph by Nick Barlow
25 August 2016
Overcast, initially still, light north easterly developing with showers
Around the Car Park gates a roving Tit flock included at least two Blackcaps, Song Thrush and Goldcrest and a Greenfinch called from near the feeders. Overhead passage was limited to four Swallows at 7.50am and two lots of three Lesser Black-backs either side of those. A Water Rail showed well from the north causeway hide with the bird calling regularly.
On the Pool margins, there was a single Common Sandpiper and Little Egret. A male Sparrowhawk terrorised the Oak Hide feeder and a Tree Creeper was calling in the crop field oaks.
Water Rail – 25th August 2016
Photograph by Nick Barlow
24 August 2016
Fine and sunny.
Around 11.15 this morning, a juvenile or female Marsh Harrier circled Railway Pool for about 15 minutes before heading off south and showed really well to three lucky observers in Oak Hide.
In the evening, there were 22 Mute Swans, a single juvenile Little Ringed Plover, two Common Sandpipers and a Snipe. 40 Swallows came into roost in the small pond by the Car Park.
23 August 2016
Fine and sunny.
Probably the best bird today was a Spotted Flycatcher feeding from the thorns just north of Car Park Pool, although it moved on fairly quickly as a result of disturbance from the Jackdaws. There were three Whitethroats in the hedgeline just east of the A452 and at least five Chiffchaffs along the concrete road / Old Road area. A Hobby provided good views over Car Park Pool as it hawked Dragonflies during the middle of the morning. There was a single Little Egret on Railway Pool and, in the evening, there was a Common Snipe in the Railway Pool and two Little Ringed Plovers on Car Park Pool.
22 August 2016
Overcast with sunny periods.
Two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers and two Common Sandpipers were present on Car Park Pool for much of the day and two Stoats showed really well in the Marsh as they looked for prey.
This time of the year is prime time for Warblers as youngsters slowly work their way south and in a 30 strong Tit flock on the railway embankment, there were at least three Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, some Chiffchaffs, Nuthatch and Goldcrest. There was a Little Egret on the Dragonfly Pool, a Pied Wagtail feeding two young on Railway Pool and, in the evening, a Kingfisher fed on the Reedbed Pool.
Gannets – 21st August 2016
Photographs by Jeff Rankin 
21 August 2016
Westerly, mostly sunny
Although the wind had dropped it was still breezy and after yesterday’s blow, birds were relocating and the highlight came in the form of the long awaited 200th species for the Reserve, a nearly full adult Gannet. Judging by the small amount of black still in the tail and on the secondaries, the birds was in its fourth calendar year (the species becomes a full adult of the fifth year). Originally found by Stewart Hares on Railway Pool at 10.45am, it relocated to Car Park Pool and gave a number of impressive flybys during its morning stay. The strong winds of yesterday brought in others to Worcestershire on Saturday and Belvide today. The bird eventually departed at 2.20pm.
Other noteworthy species included a female/juvenile Redstart on the flood plain south of the pumping station, a brief visit from a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit onto Car Park Pool (which was seemingly flushed by the Gannet on one of its flybys), two Little Ringed Plovers on Car Park Pool early morning before moving on, both Common and Green Sandpipers and two Little Egrets.
Hirundines continued to move through during the morning, albeit in pulses. At least 30 Sand Martins, 60 House Martins and ten Swallows flew through by 11.30am.
The hirundines attracted a Hobby which flew over at 10.30am and again at 2.00pm and 3.00pm a pair of Buzzards soared over the wood for much of the morning and a male Sparrowhawk turned the tables on a mobbing Crow and drove it away.
Other counts today comprised 15 Mute Swans, the Black Swan, 449 Greylags, one white Farmyard Goose, 280 Canadas, 86 Gadwall, a noticeable increase in Teal to 42, 83 Mallard, another increase this time in Shoveler numbers to 27, 24 Tufted and 11 broods totalling 38 ducklings, seven Little Grebes with one youngster on Car Park Pool and one on Railway Pool, eight Cormorants, four Little Egrets, six Herons, 12 Moorhen, 72 Coot, 154 Lapwing, three Common Sandpipers, 21 Black-headed Gulls and seven Lesser Black-backs. At 3.30pm 80 Sand Martins were feeding around the Reserve along with three Swallows and a Ringed Plover dropped in towards the end of the day.
Gannet – 21st August 2016
Photograph by Mike Pugh
20 August 2016
Strong blustery south west wind, wet on and off in the morning, occasional squally showers and sunny intervals thereafter.
Hirundines were again on the move with, for example, 60 Swallows, 20 Sand Martins and ten House Martins prior to 9.00am with a change in composition at 10.15am with 60 House Martins, 20 Sand Martins and a Swallow. Hirundines were moving through all day however and these were just a snapshot at any one time.
A large female Sparrowhawk harried Railway Pool at 10.00am and other birds were as follows, a single Little Egret, 20 Stock Doves, 34 Teal, eight Shoveler, 200 Jackdaws on the flood plain and 14 adult Mute Swans on the pools.
19 August 2016
Overcast and wet, southerly wind.
A change in the weather, as expected, brought down the hirundines and at 8.30 a.m., there was a mixed flock of at least 160 birds over the Aeromodellers field which roughly consisted of 120 House Martins, ten Sand Martins and 30 Swallows, with an additional seven Swallows moving through to the south at the same time.
In the back gate compounds there were at least seven Chiffchaffs, five of which were in a mixed Tit flock on the edge of the railway embankment and others were calling all along the Old Road. A Goldcrest was also in song by the top gate. A Whitethroat was feeding in the gorse patch opposite the back gate and flew into cover by the south-west pond.
Three Song Thrushes and at least two Blackbirds were feeding on berries by the car park gates and, on the pools, there were at least 70 Gadwall and 15 Shoveler.
The bird of the day was undoubtedly a Wood Sandpiper which was seen at 9.10am calling and flying east over the car park. This is the first since 15 August 2013. There were also two Common Sandpipers on Railway Pool and 42 Teal and five Shoveler spread between the pools.
In the evening 150 mixed hirundines were feeding high over the pools and these appeared to be mostly House Martins, but at dusk there was a roost of Swallows and Sand Martins in the Reed bed and the ringers caught 20 Swallow, of which 19 were juveniles and 25 Sand Martins of which ten were juveniles. Singles of Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting were also caught in the Reed bed (both juveniles) and a session prior to the catches in the Reed bed yielded another impressive tally in the back gate copse area as follows, 3 juvenile Bullfinches, ten Blackcaps of which seven were juveniles, a single juvenile Whitethroat, a single juvenile Lesser Whitethroat, two juvenile Garden Warblers, a juvenile Robin, two juvenile Chiffchaffs, a juvenile Willow Warbler and four juvenile Blue Tits. All adults seem to have moved on sometime ago. There were six re-traps of which four were Blackcaps that had been caught in the back gate on 6 August, all of which had put on weight as follows:- 16.4g now 20.2g, 13.6g now 16.4g, 14.8g now 17.6g and 14.8 now 18.1g. The other two re-traps were an adult Blue Tit from last year and a Reed Warbler in the Reed bed which had been previously ringed on 2 July, in the nest, as a pulli.
18 August 2016
Sunny, warm, north-easterly, cloud slowly building from the west.
As I understand it, there was a Purple Heron at Brandon Marsh yesterday morning. This morning, at 8.45, a Heron flew from the direction of the Reserve, across the Kenilworth Road, heading north-east which the observer felt might well have been a Purple Heron but, unfortunately, did not see enough to be able to submit a description. I fear that this is one that has got away as we still wait for the 200th bird at the Reserve.
From 7.30 a.m. there were three Green Sandpipers on Car Park Pool and two Little Egrets which by early afternoon had increased to five. Five Stock Doves were feeding on the newly cut grass to the right of Car Park Hide and the grass has been baled and is due to be removed shortly. A Sedge Warbler showed well in the Marsh in front of Oak Hide, along with a Common Snipe and a Water Rail dashed across the gaps in the newly cleared openings in front of the North Causeway Hide. Both Hobby, Peregrine and the first Wigeon of the autumn flew over and, at 5.30 p.m., 65 House Martins came in to feed over Car Park Pool. There were also three Green Finches on the car park feeder.
17 August 2016
Sunny, but cool start, some clouding over and an easterly wind.
Five Swallows appeared to emerge from the Car Park Pool reeds at about 8.30 but departed quickly, but warblers were generally more elusive this morning with two Blackcaps on the railway embankment, a Reed Warbler in front of Railway Hide and a scattering of Chiffchaffs between the car park and the back gate. There were 20 Teal and 36 Black-headed Gulls on Railway Pool plus a Little Egret and three Shoveler on Car Park Pool. At least six Reed Buntings and a pair of Bullfinches were feeding along the causeway and further Bullfinches by the south-west pond.
Other birds today included at least five Chiffchaffs and four Willow Warblers along the Old Road during the mid-morning period, a pair of Ravens soaring and tumbling over Siden Hill Wood in the 12.30 to 2 p.m. period, a male Kestrel hunting over the recently cut grass around the car park and then a Mediterranean Gull amongst 52 Black-headed Gulls on Railway Pool.
The Little Egret count increased to three in the afternoon and at one stage a Sparrowhawk chased a Wren into vegetation by Oak Hide, seemingly missing the bird but crashing into a Blackthorn bush in the process. At 1 p.m., 30 Sand Martins and two House Martins were feeding high over Car Park Pool and ten Swallows went south between 1 and 1.30 p.m.
Further change in the evening saw six Little Egrets roosting on the gravel bar on Railway Pool with the following additional counts; 19 Mute Swans (13 adults and six cygnets), the Black Swan, over 300 Greylags plus a White Farmyard Goose, two Canadas, 54 Mallard, 61 Gadwall, 30 Teal, 20 Tufteds with 13 broods and a total of 51 ducklings, four Herons, four Cormorants, eight Little Grebes including five adults and three fledged juveniles from elsewhere plus on site youngsters of singles each on Car Park and Railway Pools, 14 Moorhen, 127 Coot, 28 Black-headed Gulls and four Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
16 August 2016
Sunny with easterly wind.
Birds on Car Park Pool were initially disturbed by grass cutting around Car Park Hide but quickly returned.
There were 22 Teal, six Shoveler and two Little Egrets split between the pools and a Common Tern, the first for August, flew through at 9.10 a.m. There were also two Common Sandpipers on the Dragonfly Pool.
Warblers were well in evidence with a Garden Warbler and at least two each of Blackcap and Whitethroat on the railway embankment (with the first two species at least feeding on the ripening Elderberries), a further Whitethroat by Oak Hide, two Sedge Warblers in front of River Hide, nine Chiffchaffs along the Old Road or the concrete road and a similar number between the car park and the back gate.
Seven Swallows flew through prior to 9.15 but there was no sign of any Sand Martins. Oddly, two Swallows dropped into the small pond by the car park, at the same time, apparently to roost or to rest. A further five Swallows flew over the car park at 6.30 p.m., and then 28 came in at dusk, presumably to roost when a Swift also appeared. Two Kingfishers were very vocal on the Reedbed in the early evening.
A successful work party attended by eight people led to the strimming of the islands on Car Park Pool, the opening up of the channel through the Marsh and those from the North Causeway Hide and further alder and willow control. Many thanks to those who attended.
15 August 2016
Sunny. After a cooler start temperatures began to rise.
There were at least six Reed Buntings feeding in the long grass by the Car Park Pond, there were five Teal on Car Park Pool, two Stock Doves flew over and a Chiffchaff was very vocal in the willows on the edge of the dry pond by the crop field.
Whether because of a change in the wind to easterly or not, at 10 a.m. two female / juvenile Redstarts were seen in the hedgerow along the north shore of Car Park Pool (as viewed from the gateway on the Old Road looking across the flood plain), for five minutes at 10 a.m., but there was then no sign of them in the next hour. There were at least 12 Chiffchaffs seen or heard around the Reserve during the day and the family party of Common Whitethroats showed well in the willow scrub to the south of Arden Woodshavings.
There were two Little Egrets on Railway Pool, eight Teal, seven Sand Martins through and both Migrant and Brown Hawkers were seen, along with Peacock, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Common Blue.
14 August 2016
Overcast for much of the day, slowly clearing p.m., light north-westerly wind.
Presumably the same Redshank from the 12th was back on Car Park Pool today and there were two Kingfishers showing well on the Reedbed. A single Little Egret joined six Herons on Railway Pool and duck counts included 78 Gadwall, a drake Shoveler and five Teal. There was a Willow Warbler in sub-song along the Old Road, a Coal Tit by the Kennels on Marsh Lane and 20 Swallows went over to the south.
13 August 2016
Mostly overcast, westerly wind.
After a period in July when Hobbies were regular, they have been somewhat illusive in August so a record of one today was pleasing. There was also a Little Egret, eight Teal and a Shoveler, four Greenfinches around the car park and a Lesser Whitethroat on the edge of the Car Park Pool Reedbed.
302 Jackdaws were counted on the flood plain and 30 Swallows were feeding over the field beyond the underpass. The Canada Goose flock has reached 146, the Black Swan seemed unscathed after an attack by one of the cobs and there were two Brown Hawkers on site, one along the Old Road and one by the Dragonfly Pond and a Red Admiral by the south-west pond.
12 August 2016
Sunny, warm, westerly wind.
On or over the pools today there were two Green Sandpipers, a Little Egret, a Raven and possibly one of yesterday’s Redshank and butterflies included Holly Blue and Red Admiral.
11 August 2016
Overcast, north westerly
The Peregrine was again perched in the dead larch in Siden Hill Wood between 11.15am and 12.00pm today before it moved off south. There were seven Teal on Railway Pool and 40 Sand Martins feeding across the Reserve along with three Swallows and a House Martin. The number of Sand Martins increased to over 100 in the early evening before at least 60 of these roosted in the reed bed along with a few Swallows, and there were at least 10 further Swallows in the reeds in the Car Park pond. The ringers, with nets in the Reed bed, ringed 76 new birds of which 64 were Sand Martins (40 juveniles), 10 Swallows (9 juveniles) and single juveniles of Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting. Meanwhile one of the colour-ringed Black Headed-Gulls was seen at Cwmbran boating lake near Newport, Wales, 78 miles away.
Finally, at dusk three Redshank flew into Car Park Pool to preen and wash and were calling regularly after dark and a Barn Owl called from the Old Road.
10 August 2016
Partly cloudy, cooler, north westerly
There were plenty of small birds about this morning but, possibly because of the cooler conditions and the wind, proved hard to see; for example, in the back gate compound there were at least six calling Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap with a Willow Warbler in half-hearted song on the railway embankment. The area around the feeders was also busy with an adult and a juvenile Whitethroat, Reed Buntings and Goldfinches together with the usual Tits. Along the causeway and the central stream there were a few Long-tailed Tits, Reed Buntings, Linnets and at least one further Chiffchaff.
At 8.00am there were no hirundines on site but at 8.30 two Sand Martins and a House Martin dropped into Railway Pool but appeared to move on quickly. At 8.45am four Swallows dropped in to feed over Car Park Pool but they also quickly moved on. At 8.50am there were three Swifts and a mixed flock of ten Sand and House Martins over the central stream line but the Swifts departed almost instantly before another one passed through at 9.00am.
Other than Lapwings, there were no waders immediately apparent on the pool margins. A Dabchick was feeding a well grown youngster in front of Railway Hide, there were at least six Teal on Railway Pool and a new brood of six Tufted on Car Park Pool.
As the day progressed a Common Snipe appeared on one of the islands on Railway Pool along with two Little Egrets and in the evening a Spotted Flycather showed well in the oak trees just south of the car park gates. There were, in addition, 18 Mute Swans, a Mallard with a brood of two on Railway Pool, a new brood of Gadwall with three on Car Park Pool, 13 broods of Tufted containing 46 ducklings, broods of single chicks of Dabchick pairs on both Car Park and Railway Pool, ten Teal and a Green Sandpiper.
9 August 2016
Sunny intervals, blustery north westerly, noticeably cooler.
A flock of 20 Starlings together with about 30 Lapwings were fidgety in the early afternoon, the cause proving to be a Peregrine perched in the top of the dead larch in Siden Hill Wood.
8 August 2016
Mostly sunny and warm, south westerly
There was a Little Egret and a Little Ringed Plover on Car Park Pool today and two Green Sandpipers on Railway Pool. The concrete road was lively with, amongst other things, male Bullfinch, Goldfinches and a Whitethroat.
7 August 2016
Sunny and warm, brisk south westerly
Lesser Whitethroats showed well today with a single behind Railway Hide, on the embankment, and three along the concrete road. Yesterday’s eclipse drake Shoveler remained on Car Park Pool and there was a noticeable increase in Teal, to 14. There were singles of Common Sandpiper and Little Egret on Railway Pool and the Canada total had also increased to 165 with two Hybrid Canada/Greylags this morning.
A Painted Lady butterfly was on show by Oak Hide.
6 August 2016
Warm, sunny, light south westerly
There was not great deal new to report. A Shoveler was new in, Teal numbers have increased slightly to six, there was a new young Dabchick on Car Park Pool but seemingly no sign of the brood of three on Railway. Waders were limited to 96 Lapwing and a Common Sandpiper whilst two Little Egrets fed round the margins.
Other counts today were nine Mute Swans, a Black Swan, 285 Greylags, a single Farmyard Goose, the Greylag/Canada hybrid, 41 Canada, 40 Mallard and a new brood of three on Railway Pool, 61 Gadwall, 23 Tufted and nine broods of 37 ducklings, seven adult Little Grebes as well as the youngster, two Herons, eight Cormorants, eight Moorhen, 121 Coot, 11 Black-headed Gulls, one Lesser Black-back Gull and seven Rooks on the flood plain. New family parties of Chiffchaffs were call actively by the cottages and by the car park gate with two further singles down towards the game crop and a smart juvenile Willow Warbler sunning itself in a bush along the river. There were also three juvenile Common Whitethroats along the concrete road just beyond the bend.
Excellent ringing sessions on the evening of the 5 August and the early morning of the 6 August concentrated on the reed bed and the back gate copse respectively. In the reed bed there was a roost of about 200 Sand Martins, 20 Swallows, 15 Starlings and a few Reed Buntings.
111 new birds were caught, there were five re-traps and a control and the totals were as follows, 20 Blackcaps with 19 juvenile, 11 Chiffchaffs with 9 juvenile,14 Reed Warblers with 12 juvenile, seven Whitethroat with 6 juvenile, three Robin all juvenile, five Bullfinch with three juvenile all caught in back compound, nine Sand Martins (including one that had been ringed in the adjacent quarries earlier this year) with five juvenile, two Great Tit with one juvenile, two Willow Warblers with one juvenile, nine Reed Buntings with six juvenile, five Swallows with four juvenile, 15 Sedge Warblers all juvenile, four Wren all juvenile, three Blue Tit all juvenile and one juvenile Wood Pigeon. The French ringed Reed Warbler was also re-trapped and whilst the ringing session was taking place a Peregrine flew over the car park; thanks to the Brewood Ringing group for the information.
5 August 2016
Sunny intervals, westerly
Apologies for the disturbance to the pools this morning but with the help of volunteers and Packington Estate staff, a concerted effort was made to clear ragwort from the Railway Pool islands and the margins of all the pools. We took the opportunity to strim the main island in front of Oak Hide to improve the view and others will be strimmed in due course although as part of the ragwort pulling, we discovered at least two Tufted Ducks still sitting so the rest of the strimming will wait a few days.
Despite the disturbance there were two very accommodating little Little Egrets on Car Park Pool, a Common Sandpiper on Railway Pool and a Raven was heard flying over. A Lesser Whitethroat was calling near the back gate, there were at least six Reed Warblers active in the marginal vegetation between Oak and Railways Hides and Willow/Chiffs were calling in a number of places now they are beginning to disperse. Plenty of Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers were will on the wing, there was a Peacock nectaring on the islands and a Silver Y Moth around the Reedbed Pool.
4 August 2016
Sunny, blustery, west, south westerly slowly easing
The movement of Swifts and hirundines was interesting this morning as the following records indicate in a snapshot of time. At 8.00am there were five Swifts, 11 Sand Martins and a House Martin feeding over the central stream and they appeared to all move on quickly. At 8.08am the composition was a single Swift, eight Sand Martins and a House Martin and by 8.23am that composition had changed again to two Swifts, five Sand Martins and two House Martins. By 9.00am no Swifts were left, but still five Sand Martins and still two House Martins although no confirmation obviously that the final two counts were the same birds.
Other birds today were a ringed juvenile Willow Warbler on the Railway Embankment in the accompaniment of a Whitethroat, a Mistle Thrush flew over, a Water Rail called from the shoreline on Railway Pool in front of River Hide, there were a pair of Linnets on the Causeway with eight to ten Reed Buntings, two Oystercatchers flew into Railway Pool briefly and a Canada/Greylag hybrid was again on Car Park Pool.
As the morning wore on both Green and Common Sandpiper were found feeding on the margins of Railway Pool, there was a Kingfisher on the Reed Bed Pool, a Little Egret on Car Park Pool and two Ravens flew over Siden Hill Wood. The Black Swan reappeared on Car Park Pool in the evening.
3 August 2016
Sunny intervals, strong south westerly, occasional light showers
Railway Pool held both Common Sand and Green Sandpiper, one Little Egret, a Little Ringed Plover, 13 Tufted broods, 340 Greylags and a Farmyard Goose, the Canada/Greylag hybrid and 46 Canadas.
Two Kingfishers were together on the Reedbed Pool in the morning and at least 20 Sand Martins and five Swift went south. There was a single Teal amongst the other wildfowl.
2 August 2016
Drizzly, west, south-westerly
No records
1 August 2016
Today’s counts on the pools included four Little Egrets (all on Railway Pool in the afternoon), singles of Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper, two Kingfishers on the Reedbed and amongst the wildfowl was the new arrival of five Pochard. A mixed flock of adult and juvenile Goldfinches (12 in total) were on the flood plain with about 100 Jackdaw. A Hobby flew over, a fledge Great Crested Grebe was present on Car Park Pool and a Painted Lady was also seen.