Covid-19 (Coronavirus) – Updated 24th March 2020
As going to the Reserve is exercise and as the Reserve is spacious, after much deliberation we have decided to leave the Reserve open to members only, but we will monitor the position daily. In order to do this, members are asked to please co-operate by:
- Remembering social distancing – 2m minimum between people.
- No more than two people, per hide at any one time, subject to (1) above.
- Please carry cleanser with you for hide doors, flaps and locks and wipe down regularly.
Can members users please ensure they follow HM Government guidance in respect of hand sanitisation and social distancing, and ensure they avoid the Reserve if they or any family members (or anyone else you may be in contact with) are showing any symptoms associated with Covid-19.
Lost Property
Items that have been found at Marsh Lane today (15th July) have been handed into the Estate Office and if you have lost anything, it is worth contacting Kay Gleeson (01676 522020) to see if your items have been found. Other items found over the years are three pairs of glasses, a cap and a child’s boot ! If you wish to claim any items, do please be in touch.
Work Party Dates
Subject to the Government lifting the lock-down restrictions, the proposed Work Party dates are:
15th September – 6 p.m.
10th October – 2 p.m.
14th November – 2 p.m.
12th December – 2 p.m.
Link to bird ringing group – http://www.westmidlandsringinggroup.co.uk/nhs/4594917630
Updates
29th to 31st August 2020 – Records added
24th to 27th August 2020 – Records added
31st August 2020
Sunny intervals, high cloud.
A Greater Black-backed Gull on the flood plain was slightly unseasonal and there was a Green Sandpiper on the river this morning. A late Swift went south over Car Park Pool and there was still a handful of Swallows at Patrick Farm with nine moving south during the morning. On the pools there was just a single Common Sandpiper at 11:45 but in the warmer weather a good selection of insects included nine Brown Hawkers, 20 Common Darters, together with about 20 Small Whites, one Common Blue and a Speckled Wood.
Later in the afternoon a brood of a least eight Pheasant Chicks were crossing the car park going to the long grass near the pond. There were at least three Green Woodpeckers between Oak and Railway Hide, four Egrets across the pool and a Green Sandpiper in front of Railway Hide along with a Snipe. A Garden Warbler and Whitethroat were both recorded at the former by the screens and the latter of Oak Hide.
30th August 2020
Mostly sunny, decreasing northerly wind.
The best bird today was a Spotted Flycatcher in one of the Ash Trees at the top of the steps to the old Aeromodellers site. There was a mixed flock of birds including Willow Warbler and Chiffchaffs there.
On the Pools there were two Common Sandpipers and two Snipe and a Sparrowhawk made it its business to disrupt the birds feeding at the car park feeder.
Later in the morning a Hobby hunted over Railway Pool, there was a Green Sandpiper down at Patrick Bridge, a Lesser Whitethroat on the Old Road, two Wigeon, three Little Egrets, ten Herons and the Cetti’s Warbler in song on the causeway.
29th August 2020
Windy from the north, overcast.
The Wood Sandpiper was present again all day with a supporting cast of two Green Sandpipers, six Snipe and two Common Sandpipers.
Other counts today were 45 Mute Swans (42 adults and 3 juveniles), 310 Greylags, 425 Canadas, a Greylag Canada Hybrid, two Wigeon, 32 Shoveler, 32 Teal, 101 Gadwall, 105 Mallard, 32 Tufteds, 14 Cormorants, ten Herons, six Little Egrets, ten Little Grebes (six adults and four juveniles), 32 Moorhen, 146 Coot, 148 Lapwing, 17 Black-headed Gulls, ten Lesser Black-backed Gulls and four Jay along the Old Road.
A Hobby was present in the afternoon, perched in the dead tree in the front of Siden Hill Wood.
28th August 2020
Heavy overnight rain, clearing slowly by 06:00, occasional sunny intervals mostly overcast and increasingly windy with the wind turning from the West to the North
Yesterday’s Wood Sandpiper was back on Railway Pool this morning. It was first seen at 07.10 and was still present until at least 15:00 mostly on the island in front of Oak, sometimes best viewed from River Hide. The other stand out bird was a Nightingale which was accidentally flushed from the dry ditch just by the Oak Hide feeder from where it flew into the blackthorn behind the Oak itself. Uniformally rusty orange from head to toe and noticeably bigger than the adjacent Whitethroats. There was quite honestly nothing else it could be. The bird was seen by Pete Sofley and Nick Barlow and is the second record for the Reserve.
There was a trickle of migrant hirundines during the 3 hours from midday until 15:00 including one flock of 12 Swallows, four Sand Martins and at least 15 House Martins with a further 10 House Martins feeding over Siden Hill Wood. A Yellow Wagtail went over at 14:30 and there was a Hobby feeding in front of Siden Hill Wood in the morning.
There were three Little Egrets spread across the pools, two Wigeon on Car Park Pool, at least six Snipe, singles of Common and Green Sandpiper, a juvenile Bullfinch calling along the central streamline, two Whitethroats by Oak Hide and a Water Rail calling in the Marsh.
Ringing in the back gate copse this morning from first light until about 09:00 yielded 55 new birds of which 34 were Blackcaps plus nine Chiffchaffs, a Garden Warbler, three Robins, two Great Tits, a Dunnock, three Blackbirds; and two re-traps – a Blackcap first ringed on 22nd July and in that time has put on 3 grams plus a Blue Tit which was hatched in 2018 and has been caught every year since.
Wood Sandpiper from Oak Hide – Photograph by Nick Barlow
27th August 2020
High cloud, light southerly, cloud building and rain from mid-day.
Today’s star bird was a Wood Sandpiper found by Martin Durkin at 07:30 on Railway Pool but the Lapwings were giving it constant grief and the bird appeared to depart quite quickly. In addition there were two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and four Snipe on the margins and four Grey Wagtails flew over together at 10:00.
A tit flock by the South-west Pond included a least three Blackcaps, three Chiffchaffs, Bullfinch and Goldcrest with other Chiffchaffs on the central streamline and by the car park. At least two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were present around the back gate copse and there were three Little Egrets on Railway Pool. The Cetti’s Warbler was in song along the causeway.
Other birds today were a Kingfisher which flew past River Hide and then perched in front of Railway Hide, a Peregrine, 461 Canadas, 196 Greylags and a Greylag-Canada hybrid.
26th August 2020
Sunny westerly turning north-westerly.
There were two Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper on Railway Pool first thing and the juvenile Ringed Plover remained on Car Park Pool along with two Little Egrets.
As the day progressed the Common Sandpiper total increased to four and there were also four Snipe. Whitethroat, Green Woodpecker and Kingfisher were all seen around Oak Hide and a Sparrowhawk and Buzzard were seen overhead. Four Swallows went south.
25th August 2020
Mostly wet.
Today’s highlight was an Osprey that came over at 10:05 and is often the case, put many of the birds up. There was a reasonable supporting cast of four Common Sandpipers, adult and juvenile Ringed Plover, three Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, three Little Egrets, 33 Teal, 33 Shoveler, two Wigeon, a Raven; and in the evening seven Sand Martins and a Swift went south.
The colour-ringed Black-headed Gull (2K56) mentioned before, was also seen again.
24th August 2020
Sunny intervals, cloudy, breezy from the south-west, showers later.
The only records in the log today were five Snipe and a Common Sandpiper on Railway Pool and two Whitethroats and six Long-tailed Tits in the north causeway bay.
23rd August 2020
Sunny intervals, occasional light showers, lighter westerly.
Today’s highlight was undoubtedly a juvenile Marsh Harrier that was initially seen at the Car Park Hide at 10:15 heading first towards Hampton and then diverting towards Meriden before returning at 11:35 and again showing well to those on site. Otherwise there were few records in the book and these were limited to a juvenile Water Rail in the north causeway bay, four Little Egrets on Car Park Pool and a Green Woodpecker on Railway Pool.
Marsh Harrier – 23rd August 2020 – Photograph by Kathleen Everitt
22nd August 2020
Sunny intervals, blustery south-westerly.
In the early morning there were initially three Snipe, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a single Common Sandpiper and then mid-morning two Dunlin came into Car Park Pool and there was a second Common Sandpiper seen.
A Hobby and two Kestrels showed from time to time and other counts today comprised the following: 48 Mute Swans, 232 Canadas, 221 Greylags, two Farmyard Geese, 64 Mallard, 29 Shoveler, 53 Teal, 123 Gadwall, 14 Tufted Ducks, three Little Egrets, 12 Herons, three Cormorants, 11 Little Grebes (five adults and six juveniles of which only one juvenile is home bred), a female Pheasant and eight small chicks by Car Park Hide, a juvenile Water Rail in the north causeway bay, 21 Moorhen, 157 Coots, 20 Black-headed Gulls, nine Lesser Black-backed Gulls, one Herring Gull, 178 Lapwing, two Linnets on the causeway, a Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat by Railway Hide.
A mobile tit flock around the South-west Pond included at least two each of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and some Blackcaps with further Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps on the railway embankment and a Nuthatch and Treecreeper in the back gate copse.
A Kingfisher was heard calling in the north causeway bay in the morning and later showed really well in the afternoon.
A Stoat ran across the Old Road mid-morning and butterflies noted were as follows: one female Common Blue, two Large Whites, one Small White, 25 Green-veined Whites, 11 Speckled Woods, five Meadow Browns, four Gatekeepers and one Small Tortoiseshell. Damselflies were as follows: 70 Small Red-eyed, 25 Common Blue, five Blue-tailed, six Emerald; Hawkers: one Brown, two Southern and three Migrants; darters: 15 Common and one Ruddy.
21st August 2020
Windy from the south south-westerly, occasional showers, sunny intervals.
The Black-tailed Godwit was present for its fourth day, commuting between Car Park Pool and the flood plain this morning, although yesterday’s floods have subsided. Two Snipe also flew south along the Blythe heading for the Reserve at 08:15 this morning.
On the Reserve itself the juvenile Little Ringed Plover was still present and there were three Common Sandpipers, a single Green Sandpiper and three Little Egrets.
Two Ravens flying over Siden Hill Wood dropped into the woods at 11:45. A Kingfisher was in the north causeway bay, there was a female Mallard with two half grown ducklings on Railway Pool and a total of 49 Mute Swans.
20th August 2020
Mostly sunny with a light southerly albeit increasing.
After yesterday’s prolonged rain it was not surprising that the Blythe had again broken its banks at Patrick Farm and the Black-tailed Godwit was enjoying the floods with geese galore. A few Swallows were hawking insects over the river but they seemed to be the birds from Patrick Farm.
Birds on the Reserve this morning comprised three Common Sandpipers, one Green Sandpiper, a juvenile Ringed Plover, four Little Egrets and 47 Mute Swans. Four Goldfinches were feeding on the thistles to the left of Railway Hide with three Blackcaps enjoying the elderberries behind the hide.
19th August 2020
Dry until 09:00 then wet.
A male Ruff and two Reeve appeared on Car Park Pool at 10:00 but got spooked and departed to the east 10:45. There were two Common Sandpipers, an adult and a juvenile Ringed Plover and four Little Egrets on the pools whilst the Black-tailed Godwit from yesterday had relocated from the Reserve to the wet ground by Patrick Bridge, although the floods there had subsided.
Male Ruff on Car Park Pool – 19th August 2020 – Photographs by Nick Barlow
Female Ruffs on Car Park Pool – 19th August 2020
Forty Mute Swans were on the pools and six Sand Martins went south.
18th August 2020
Overcast start after overnight rain, clearing to sunny intervals with south-westerly and occasional showers.
As a result of rain over the preceding hours there was some flooding Patrick Bridge which was desirable enough to bring down a moulting adult Black-tailed Godwit. The bird was originally found at about 08:00 was still there at 11:30. Other birds seen during the morning on the floods included two Little Egrets, 250 Greylags, 150 Black-headed Gulls, 150 Swallows, five Teal and in the adjacent hedgerows Blackcap and Willow Warbler.
On the Reserve waders included and adult and a juvenile Ringed Plover on Car Park Pool, at least three, probably four Common Sandpipers and a single Green Sandpiper. A Whitethroat was present behind Oak Hide and two more by the car park feeders. In the later afternoon the Black-tailed Godwit moved to Railway Pool and two Swifts were feeding over the central streamline. Other birds included three Little Egrets, 38 Mute Swans, two Sand Martins, 39 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 300 Greylags.
A colour-ringed juvenile first-winter Black-headed Gull (Blue 2K56) was on Car Park Pool today. It was winged as a chick on 20th June at Great Melton Mere, Norfolk (five miles from Norwich). There have been no other reported sightings of this individual.
17th August 2020
Mostly overcast, occasional sunny intervals, southerly with periodic showers and overnight rain into the 18th.
The two Ringed Plovers this morning were an adult and a juvenile and two Common Terns headed away east prior to 10:00. Waders extended to two Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers and two Snipe. A Hobby was seen briefly as was a juvenile Grey Wagtail and a trickle of Swallows went south in ones and twos during the day, no more than four were seen at any one time. There were two Little Egrets and a Kestrel in the evening as well.
16th August 2020
Overcast start, sunny and hot in the middle of the day, rain in the late afternoon early evening.
Two adult Ringed Plovers were new arrivals today and joined singles of Common and Green Sandpiper and also a Snipe.
The first Swifts for some days (15) flew south over Siden Hill Wood in the morning and there was a Hobby present over Car Park Pool at 13:00.
The juvenile Water Rail was again seen in the north causeway bay along with a Cetti’s Warbler and other records in the log included two Whitethroats and a Sedge Warbler (on the track between Oak Hide and Railway Hide), a single Wigeon, a Sparrowhawk and two Little Egrets.
A Hobby reappeared in the late afternoon and was mobbed by both Magpies and Crows.
15th August 2020
Mostly overcast, light north-easterly with rain late afternoon and into the evening.
Despite the overcast conditions the temperatures were sufficiently good for there to be reasonable counts of insects and these are listed further down.
Graham and Dave’s counts today were as follows: 43 Mute Swans, 174 Canadas, 184 Greylags, a drake Wigeon, 38 Mallard, 106 Gadwall and two broods on Car Park Pool (two and six), 16 Teal, 17 Shoveler, both male and female Pochard, 18 Tufted Ducks and eleven broods of 31 ducklings, four Little Egrets, 12 Herons, seven Little Grebes (four adults and three juveniles), six Cormorants, 125 Lapwings, three Common Sandpipers, one Green Sandpiper, 12 Moorhen, 142 Coot, a Cetti’s Warbler in the Reedbed, four Linnets by the car park and in a Tit flock on the Old Road, two Willow Warblers, five Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests and eight Long-tailed Tits.
The damselfly and dragonfly counts were as follows: 25 Common Blue Damselflies, ten Blue-tailed, 120 Small Red-eyed, two Emeralds, four Brown, three Southern and four Migrant Hawkers and 18 Common and three Ruddy Darters.
Butterflies comprised: 30 Green-veined Whites, ten Large Whites, eight Speckled Woods, seven Gatekeepers, one Meadow Brown, two Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock.
Later in the afternoon 20 Swallows were feeding around Patrick Farm where at least three pairs have been double brooded. There were four Rooks and 12 Crows along with 200 Jackdaws on the flood plain. The breeding colony of House Martins at Hampton in Arden, no doubt the source of ten to 15 birds over the mobile phone mast.
14th August 2020
Overcast, cool north-easterly, brightening by 13:00, sunny afternoon, hot warm and humid.
Yesterday’s drake Wigeon and Pochard were joined by two Pintails today on Car Park Pool and in addition there were three, possibly four Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, two Snipe, six Little Egrets and five Teal. At least four Chiffchaffs and three Blackcaps were present around the car park area.
13th August 2020
Overcast.
The first returning Wigeon was present on Car Park Pool this morning along with a drake Pochard. Other wildfowl comprised 24 Teal, 11 Shoveler and 31 Mute Swans.
Waders included two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and two Snipe and a least 40 House Martins went south during the day. Other birds of note included three Little Egrets, nine Heron, a Kingfisher, a Peregrine, a juvenile Grey Wagtail and two Sedge Warblers.
12th August 2020
Sunny intervals, periodic heavy showers and thunder storms.
There were two Common Whitethroats and a female Bullfinch on the railway embankment this morning, a Green Woodpecker around Car Park Hide and two Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper on Railway Pool.
11th August 2020
Misty after thunder and heavy overnight rain, sunny and hot with thunder brewing in the evening.
There were eight Teal, three Shoveler, two Little Egrets and a Common Sandpiper on the pools this morning.
It was particularly lively along the track between Oak Hide and the South-west Pond with at least ten juvenile Blackbirds, a juvenile Song Thrush, two Blackcaps, a juvenile Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Whitethroat and both Blue and Great Tits.
Outside the back gate there were a pair of interacting Goldcrests with a third bird calling nearby and in the compounds at least one Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs were calling from there. Further Chiffchaffs were present in the crop field Willows and along the path to River Hide.
A Water Rail called from the marsh, 15 Swallows went south at 08:30 and there were at least two family groups of Reed Warblers feeding along the causeway.
Later in the day a Kingfisher flew over the north causeway bay where a juvenile Water Rail again showed well. A Cetti’s Warbler sang from nearby and a Willow Warbler sang briefly along the river as heard from the bay.
Four Whitethroats were present in front of Railway Hide and in the late morning there were three Common Sandpipers in total.
A juvenile Pheasant was seen around the pond by the car park with a female and three juveniles seen by the Causeway Hide.
Holly Blue and Migrant Hawker were both recorded during the day.
The evening work party was attended by seven people. Further Ragwort was pulled out in advance of hay cutting and five undertook maintenance of the islands on Railway Pool. Single Green and Common Sandpipers were present at the time as were four Little Egrets.
10th August 2020
Warm, some cloud, sunny intervals, north-easterly.
The best bird today was a Whinchat on the flood plain just north of Car Park Pool. It was perched and feeding from the Hawthorns along the riverside but was only seen briefly. Two Chiffchaffs and a Common Whitethroat were present in the area with a Green Sandpiper on the river by Patrick Bridge and three Little Egrets and a Common Sandpiper on Railway Pool. A second Common Sandpiper was present later on in the afternoon.
9th August 2020
Low cloud slowly clearing about 12:30 to become sunny and warm, 25 degrees.
At about 08:30 there was a single Green Sandpiper on the river at Patrick Bridge and just east of the north end of the Old Road, a flock of 18 Mistle Thrushes flew in and perched in the top of a dead Oak there having come from the direction of the golf courses along the Meriden mile.
Possibly because it was hot and warm there were few other records until the evening when a flock of 12 Swallows came in from the east at 19:00 and dropped in briefly to drink from Car Park Pool before carrying on west. A little later two House Martins and a Swallow arrived from the west but headed off south. There were at least two Jays along the central stream by River Hide and four calling Chiffchaffs spread across the Reserve.
8th August 2020
Hot and sunny, circa 30 degrees.
Counts today, courtesy of Graham Rowling and Dave Scanlan, were as follows 32 Mute Swans (24 adults and eight cygnets), 27 Canadas, 93 Greylags, two Shovelers, ten Teal, 55 Mallard, 92 Gadwall and four broods of 11 eleven ducklings, a drake Pochard, 17 Tufted and 16 broods of 64 ducklings, five adult and three juvenile Little Grebes, six Little Egrets, nine Herons, 12 Moorhen, 135 Coot, 12 Black-headed Gulls, six Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 155 Lapwings, four Cormorants, a Treecreeper on the central streamline and Bullfinch in the back gate copse.
Odonata comprised four Emeralds, 50 Small Red-eyed Damselflies, 16 Common Blues and 17 Blue-tails with the larger Dragonflies made up of three Emperors, eight Brown Hawkers, one Southern Hawker, six Black-tailed Skimmers, 25 Common Darters and one Ruddy Darter.
Butterflies included five Common Blues, one Holly Blue (on the concrete road), 20 Green-veined Whites, one Small White, two Large Whites, one Red Admiral, two Small Tortoiseshells, one Peacock, 18 Meadow Browns, 15 Gatekeepers and six Speckled Woods.
7th August 2020
Sunny warm, southerly.
Birds took a little while to give themselves up on the railway embankment, but at about 08:30 a little bit of activity on the tops of the thorns turned out to be a group at least three Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and a Chiffchaff fly catching. The embankment total for Blackcaps was at least six and other birds included Song Thrush and Goldfinch, there with two to three Reed Warblers in the Guelder-rose Bushes immediately behind the hide.
In the back gate compounds there were at least two Chiffchaffs and by Oak Hide a Whitethroat and a Song Thrush. The Willows around the crop oaks held two Chiffchaffs and a Treecreeper and other birds this morning comprised Bullfinches over the car park and the back gate, Linnet by the South-west Pond, at least three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Sparrowhawk with prey, an adult and a juvenile Buzzard, six House Martins over Siden Hill Wood and Common Tern north.
In the afternoon other birds seen comprised three Little Egrets, five Herons, a Green Woodpecker, 100 Starlings, 22 Mute Swans and 150 Lapwings.
6th August 2020
Occasional sunny intervals, mostly cloudy, south-westerly with occasional showers.
The best record today was the first Clouded Yellow Butterfly of the year by Car Park Hide in the afternoon.
The Peregrine was back in its favoured perch in the dead Larch in Siden, best viewed from Car Park Pool, whilst around the pools there were three Little Egrets, adult and juvenile Water Rail (causeway), 23 adult Mute Swans and eight cygnets and 19 Tufted broods with at least 50 ducklings.
Forty Swallows flew south in family groups in the afternoon and there were three Swifts and six Sand Martins in the evening.
A morning ringing session in the back gate compound yielded 28 birds as follows: six Reed Warblers (five juveniles one adult), 13 juvenile Blackcaps, a juvenile Garden Warbler, a juvenile Chiffchaff, two juvenile Whitethroats, an adult Sedge Warbler, adult Willow Warbler, one juvenile Wren and two juvenile Blackbirds.
Bullfinch from early ringing session on 1 August 2020 – Photograph by Nick Barlow
Juvenile Cetti’s Warbler caught like the Bullfinch in back gate compounds on 1 August 2020 – Photograph by Nick Barlow
Garden Warbler ringed in the back gate compounds 6 August 2020 – Photograph by Ben Dolan
5th August 2020
Sunny periods, breezy from the south south-west.
Early on there were four Little Egrets on Car Park Pool, a juvenile Water Rail showed again from the north causeway screen and a Sparrowhawk was active over the pools.
On the flood plain there were at least 60 Canadas, 25 Greylags, 90 Jackdaws, two Rooks, 20 Crows, two Magpies, with at least three pairs of Swallows active at Patrick Farm.
Eight Swallows flew south late morning and two Sand Martins and a House Martin came into Car Park Pool about 13:00 before they also flew south. There was a Green Sandpiper on Railway Pool in the late afternoon and a Peregrine in Siden Hill Wood. In the late evening 30 Swifts flew in to feed over the central stream and the pools before disappearing at dusk.
4th August 2020
Overcast, occasional sunny intervals.
A Common Tern flew north this morning and at least one juvenile Water Rail showed from the north causeway screen. Ten adult and four juvenile Little Grebes were present on the pools along with ten Herons and four Little Egrets. Both Raven and Sparrowhawk flew over.
3rd August 2020
Sunny, cool north-westerly.
Birds on the pools this morning comprised two Little Egrets, a Green Sandpiper, 21 adult Mute Swans and eight cygnets.
The railway embankment was active as is usual in the early morning with at least two Blackcaps, Song Thrush, Coal Tit and Reed Warbler. In a tit flock in the back gate copse there was Treecreeper, Blackcap and Goldcrest and further Blackcaps by Oak Hide and on the causeway. Plenty of Reed Warblers were also present on the causeway.
A sub-adult Peregrine was perched in the top of the dead Larch up in Siden Hill Wood, opposite Car Park Hide, and lastly a few Sand Martins were on the move with three south at 08:30.
Blackberries are ripening quickly, Blackcaps in particular are gorging on these. The Rowan Berries are quickly being dispatched by the Thrushes.
During the morning a Kingfisher flew across Car Park Pool, the first for some days. A juvenile Hobby showed on at least two occasions and there was a single adult and two juvenile Cetti’s Warblers visible from the Reedbed screen with a juvenile Water Rail in the channel on the opposite side.
Lastly, Red Bartsia is in flower along the path sides at the moment.
2nd August 2020
Sunny, breezy from the west.
The Green Sandpiper showed well on the Car Park Pool islands during the morning and presumably the same bird was also seen down at Patrick Farm. Other counts included 13 Teal, 20 adult Mute Swans, four Little Egrets, eight Herons, a male Cetti’s Warbler in sub-song in the north causeway bay, three Ravens and a Sparrowhawk over with other passerines comprising Willow Warbler, Coal Tit and Bullfinch.
1st August 2020
A sunny start, clouding over by 08:30 with occasional subsequent sunny intervals, westerly.
Early on dawn start yielded four Little Egrets, a single Green Sandpiper, one possibly two Common Sandpipers, three Oystercatchers and small passage of hirundines through by 09:00 (three Swallows, two Sand Martins and a single Swift). A seeming hatch of insects behind Railway Hide saw quite a few Warblers fly catching from there, including at least two Common Whitethroats, one Lesser Whitethroat and some Blackcaps. Sedge Warbler and Blackcap and a juvenile Green Woodpecker were seen by Oak Hide and a successful ringing session in the back gate yielded 31 birds, all juveniles bar an adult male Bullfinch. The count comprised: 17 Blackcaps, three Chiffchaffs, two Garden Warblers, two Blackbirds and singles of Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Goldcrest and Dunnock.
Later in the day Graham’s wildfowl counts yielded 25 Mute Swans (17 adults and eight cygnets), 260 Greylags, two Farmyard Geese and two Canada Greylag Crosses, 60 Canadas, 65 Gadwall and two broods with ten ducklings, 45 Mallard and a brood of three on Railway Pool, two Shoveler, seven Teal, 25 Tufted and 19 broods with 39 ducklings, eight Little Grebes being seven adults and a juvenile, three Herons, three Cormorants, 17 Moorhen, 125 Coot, a Little Ringed Plover, 135 Lapwing, a Snipe (the first of the autumn), just four Black-headed Gulls, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two Herring Gulls. A Muntjac Deer was also seen near Railway Hide.
Despite the slightly cloudy conditions it was warm enough for there to be plenty of butterflies about and Graham’s counts comprised: 18 Gatekeepers, 38 Green-veined Whites, three Speckled Woods, a Red Admiral, three Peacocks, five Meadow Browns, two Small Whites and three Common Blues.
Dragonflies were as follows: two Emperors, one Brown Hawker, one Migrant Hawker, eight Common Darters, a male Ruddy Darter, two male Banded Demoiselles, 60 Small Red-eyed Damselflies, 50 Blue-Tailed, 25 Common Blue and three Emeralds.
A juvenile Water Rail showed in front of the north causeway screen several times during the day but particularly in the evening and there was a steady trickle of Swifts throughout the day but no numbers unfortunately.