Members notice
Scott Hackett and Glen Giles are running a moth night on the 11th June 2016. This event will go ahead, whatever the weather and members and their guests are welcome to attend (members free – guest charge £3 ). Scott will run traps in the spinney area and Glen the causeway and hopefully the car park.
Scott says that they probably have enough space on their generators for a few members to bring traps, if they wish, but those interested do not have to bring a trap. They welcome all to attend to see what they are doing and will be there until about 8 a.m. to show those interested the interesting moths they have trapped.
Scott’s contact number is : 07795 952196.
31 May 2016
– Fine start, soon clouding over, rain by 3.30 into the evening, cool northerly wind.
Three Little Ringed Plovers and a single Ringed Plover were on the pools and 110 Sand Martins and ten Swifts were feeding overhead.
30 May 2016
– Mostly overcast, northerly wind.
A drake Pochard on Car Park Pool was a new arrival today and in the cool conditions, 30 Swifts and 130 Sand Martins were feeding over the pools.
The first Oystercatcher brood seems to have wandered up the flood plain with the second brood of two still in front of Car Park Pool. Courtesy of Graham Rowling, 1507 Southern Marsh Orchids and 196 Common Spotted Orchid spikes were counted.
Later in the day, a flock of 20 Goldfinches were feeding on Dandelion seeds on the Aeromodellers field, a Kingfisher showed well perched up along the River (from River Hide) and a pair of Green Woodpeckers were feeding on the banks near Railway Hide.
29 May 2016
– Mostly sunny, north easterly
A new Garden Warbler was in song by the Cottages with a second bird just north of the Car Park and a third by the back gate.
East of the A452, in a heat haze and against the sun, at least 61 Lapwings were counted of which 31 appeared to be young, although this may be an under estimation.
A mixed flock of 45-50 adult and juvenile Starlings were feeding on the Tip field, the majority being newly fledged birds. A pair of Oystercatchers with two chicks, were on the shore in front of Car Park Hide but it is not clear where the other family has gone. Two Ringed Plovers were on Railway Pool again and half a dozen Swifts flew over to the north.
28 May 2016
– Sunny intervals, light north easterly
A Red Kite flew over Car Park Pool at 9.15am and there was a single Little Egret and both adult and a second-winter Meditteranean Gulls were on site.
Other counts today were; two Herons, five Great Crested Grebes plus the brood of two, five Little Grebes, eight Cormorants, four Mute Swans, 63 Greylags and three broods, 16 Canadas, 50 Gadwall, eight Mallard and a brood of nine on Railway Pool, the drake Brewer’s Duck, 93 Tufted, seven Moorhen, 45 Coot and three broods (Car Park 2 plus a 3: Railway Pool: 4), seven Oystercatchers, 18 Lapwing and just a single youngster on Railway Pool, one Little Ringed Plover, two Ringed Plovers, six Redshanks, 13 Common Terns, 470 Black-headed Gulls and 110 chicks and four Lesser Black-backs.
In the cooler morning air, 20 Swifts and 50 Sand Martins were feeding over the pools. There was a family party of six juvenile Great Tits on the causeway.
A pair of Water Rails were seen mating in the north causeway bay.
27 May 2016
– Sunny northerly
At least 20 Swifts, two House Martins and 15-20 Sand Martins were feeding over the Pools this morning. The male Ringed Plover was in display flight on Railway Pool and both of the Garden Warblers were still in song (one in the back gate copse and one by the Car Park). The May blossom along the Railway looks stunning at the moment, as do the buttercups in both the Orchid field and Lower Siden, and the Yellow Flags are also beginning to show well.
With thanks to Graham Rowling, an estimated 350 Black-headed Gull nests were counted between the two islands with chick numbers now up to 130. There are still two lots of single Lapwing chicks on Railway Pool and the Great Crested Grebe young remain in tact at the moment. Two Meditteranean Gulls were on Railway Pool and 89 Lesser Black-backs and four Herring Gulls dropped in to Car Park Pool to bathe and generally harass the other birds in the late morning.
26 May 2016
– Cool, cloudy, slowly warming up, sunny pm
What was presumed to be a female Cuckoo (as it was not calling) flew around the Car Park area in the early afternoon. At least seven Lapwings were still sitting across the Pools and the Great Crested Grebes are now sitting on a new nest in front of Oak Hide.
A possible reason why Sedge Warblers have at worst vanished and at best shut up, around the Causeway and Reed-bed area (after good numbers in April) is a theory that the arrival of Reed Warblers can displace them where the numbers of Reed Warblers are quite dense.
Last but not least there were a pair of Greenfinches on the Oak Hide feeder in the evening.
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 26thm ay 2016. Thank you to David Stone for the information.
25 May 2016
– Grey, cold north easterly
The weather was unappealingly cool today and was no doubt a reason why at least 120 Sand Martins, 60 Swifts, four House Martins and a Swallow were feeding low over Car Park Pool during the early afternoon.
Waders comprised five Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover and four Redshank with broods of young as follows: Oystercatcher : Car Park 2, Lapwing : Railway 1 and 3, Mallard: Railway 9, Greylag : Car Park 10, 8, 8 and 7, Coot : Car Park 2 and 1, Black-headed Gulls : 86, Great Crested Grebe : Railway 2.
Last but not least the Southern Marsh and Common Spotted Orchids are beginning to show well in the Orchid field behind Oak Hide – by all means enjoy but tread carefully. In the back gate copse 269 Common Twayblades were counted. These are best viewed either side of the small paths in the back gate copse.
24 May 2016
– Mostly sunny, north-easterly wind.
Between 8.30 and 9 a.m., a Cuckoo called from the south end of Siden Hill Wood before the calling seemed to work its way along the railway embankment towards the railway crossing. The bird was never seen.
At least 14 Swifts were over the car park, a Lesser Whitethroat sang briefly on the railway embankment and on the Car Park Pool islands, there were two Ringed Plovers and three Little Ringed Plovers.
Courtesy of Graham Rowling, 14 Common Terns were estimated to be sitting between the Pools, better than I thought but still a reduction on the 18-22 estimated last year. Whether numbers are just down or the expanding Black-headed Gull colony has had an effect is not currently known.
There were two Lapwing broods on Railway, a single and a three.
23 May 2016
– Sunny intervals, cool north westerly wind.
In the cooler conditions this morning there were 22 Swifts over the car park and a similar number of Sand Martins were feeding at any one time but going back over towards Berkswell to a colony there.
12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, mostly adults, had dropped into Car Park Pool to bathe and the Oystercatchers were keeping a close watch on their chicks.
The Brewood Ringers have been ringing a number of the Lapwing chicks east of the A452 with 29 ringed this morning, taking the total to 47. Three new broods had very recently hatched out with at least one bird still sitting and the count on Saturday looks like an under-estimation with a number of birds hiding in longer grass at the northern end of the field.
During the middle of the morning, a pair of Shelduck, with seven newly fledged chicks walked across the Old Road towards Car Park Pool with one chick subsequently getting separated (at least initially) and left isolated on Car Park Pool on its own. This is the first breeding birds sufficiently close to the Reserve with newly fledged young to be seen on the pools.
Other birds today comprised two Little Ringed Plovers and two Ringed Plovers, a newly fledged family of Long-tailed Tits on the concrete road, two newly fledged Bullfinches in the back gate copse and, in the evening, a male Mandarin was on Car Park Pool at 9 p.m., a female Goosander came in to roost on Car Park Pool and one of the young Oystercatcherson Car Park Pool was grabbed by a Lesser Black-backed Gull which fortunately dropped it and the bird managed to swim back to shore. The Lesser Black-backs are constantly marauding at the moment with young Black-headed Gulls taken during the day. The number of chicks was up to 56.
22 May 2016
– Sunny intervals a.m. and, in the afternoon, sunshine and heavy showers, westerly wind.
An overnight moth trapping session, principally around the back gate; the copse yielded 15 species of which the best was a Chinese Character.
Three Goosanders, a male and two females were on Car Park Pool before flying high off to the north at 5 a.m.
During the morning, two Little Egrets came in to feed and preen on Railway Pool where there were at least two Ringed Plovers and four Little Ringed Plovers. At least 40 Black-headed Gull chicks were counted today, but just one of the second-summer Mediterranean Gulls. Four Shelducks were on the pools, one of the Lesser Whitethroats on the Old Road was singing by the car park, there was a family party of Long-tailed Tits on the Old Road, a Muntjac in the back gate copse and a Queen Hornet investigating one of the Owl boxes.
21 May 2016
– Wet and drizzly all day, south-westerly wind.
Despite the drizzly and wet conditions, a Red Kite went over Railway Pool heading north-west at 9.30 a.m. The inclement weather also brought in Swifts and hirundines with 25 of the former and 50 of the latter, at least. There was a new brood of ten Mallard ducklings on Railway Pool this morning, there was still one juvenile Lapwing in the crop field, broods of two and three on Railway Pool and 31 chicks were counted east of the A452, where a pair of Red-legged Partridge were also feeding.
Other counts were as follows: five Great Crested Grebes with a brood of two still on Railway Pool, three Dabchicks, seven Cormorants, four Mute Swans, 31 Greylags, eight Canadas, a female Shelduck, seven Gadwall, six Mallard, the drake Brewer’s Duck, 76 Tufted, six Moorhen, 22 Coot, 23 Lapwings, nine Oystercatchers and two broods of two each on Car Park Pool, six Little Ringed Plovers, two Ringed Plovers, 640 Black-headed Gulls and 40 chicks, two Mediterranean Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls and singing Treecreepers by the south-west pond and in the crop field Oaks.
20 May 2016
– Bright but cloudy, south-westerly wind.
Nothing recorded in the log.
19 May 2016
– Sunny intervals a.m., rain p.m., south-westerly wind.
More Black-headed Gulls have hatched out over the last couple of days with at least 31 counted this morning. The Oystercatchers still have their two young on Car Park Pool and one brood of Lapwing, at least, was still present on Railway Pool.
A somewhat early fledged juvenile Goldfinch was found on the causeway today and at least two Mediterranean Gulls were recorded.
In the late afternoon, a Hobby was chasing Swallows at Patrick Farm.
18 May 2016
– Heavy showers, south-westerly wind.
Little Recorded today with just two second-summer Mediterranean Gulls on site for part of the morning and a Water Rail in the north causeway bay.
17 May 2016
– Sunny intervals, south-westerly wind.
A singing Reed Warbler survey yielded a new record total of 33 birds with an estimated 20 in the Reedbed, four in the north causeway bay, four between Oak and River Hide, three by Railway Hide, one in the car park pond and one by the top gate.
Sedge Warblers were surprisingly elusive today on Car Park Pool / the Reedbed with none heard or seen but those on Railway Pool were mostly in song with at least eight birds present.
The pair of Lapwings in the crop field still had two young.
As the morning wore on, a Little Egret came in to feed and the adult and second-summer Mediterranean Gulls were again on site. 11 Oystercatchers were present and the pair on Car Park Pool still have two chicks.
Two new broods of Lapwings have hatched out on the Railway Pool islands, with each pair having two young and the Great Crested Grebe pair on Railway Pool have also produced two young from the nest in front of Railway Hide. There were at least eight young Black-headed Gulls, although the increasing height of the vegetation on the islands make judging numbers difficult.
In the better weather today, the first real showing of Odonata, yielded a male Beautiful Demoiselle on the causeway, a Large Red Damselfly in the pond by the car park, three Four Spotted Chasers along either the Old Road or around the Dragonfly Pond and Azureand Blue-tailed Damselfly either on the Dragonfly Pond itself or in the pond by the car park.
16 May 2016
– Sunny, cool, north-westerly wind.
A Red Kite showed well as it drifted over Railway Pool at 11.15 a.m., and a Kingfisher flew past Oak Hide a little later on.
There were 12 adult Oystercatchers on site with two chicks remaining on Car Park Pool and other waders included two Little Ringed Plovers and two Ringed Plovers. At one stage or another there were three Mediterranean Gulls on site (the two second-summers and the adult), and in the evening a male and two female Goosanders roosted on Car Park Pool.
The roving Lesser Black-backs took a Black-headed Gull chick from the group of emerging young on Railway Pool.
15 May 2016
– Sunny, cool north westerly
A un-calling Cuckoo, probably a female, was prospecting along the central streamline during the morning and early afternoon, before moving to Siden Hill Wood.
There were six Little Ringed Plovers on site along with two Ringed Plovers, two Mediterranean Gulls, two Grey Wagtails at Patricks Bridge and a Red Admiral in the lee of the wind by the south west pond.
The drake Garganey reappeared on Railway Pool at 5 p.m.
14 May 2016
– Sunny, cold north westerly
The reasonable selection of birds first thing included a Water Rail in the north causeway bay, two Hobbies – one over Railway and, a presumed different bird, east of the A452 – a Kingfisher which flew across Railway Pool and a first-summer Yellow Legged Gull which was soaring over Car Park Pool before drifting off south-east.
An arrival of hirundines and swifts included at least 14 Swifts and 16 House Martins over the Pools, along with 30-40 Sand Martins.
Two Ringed Plovers and four Little Ringed Plovers were on the Pools, Lesser Whitethroats were in song opposite the Car Park gates and by the underpass and there were at least two Garden Warblers, one by the Car Park and one in the back gate copse. Hopefully there are more of these still to come in.
Today’s other counts were as follows: four Great Crested Grebes, four Little Grebes, two Herons, 11 Cormorants, ten Mute Swans, 54 Greylags and five broods, eight Canadas, four Shelduck, 21 Gadwall, eight Mallard, the drake Brewer’s Duck, 58 Tufted, six Moorhen, 17 Coots and one brood of four on Car Park Pool, nine Oystercatchers and a brood of three on Car Park Pool, four Redshank, 23 Lapwing and a brood of three in the crop field and 36 adults and at least 40 chicks east of the A452, 750 Black-headed Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 31 Common Terns, two Sparrowhawks, further singing Lesser Whitethroats on the Old Road and the Concrete road and a Grey Wagtail at Patrick Bridge.
By mid-morning the Swift count has risen to 40
In the late evening, a Short-eared Owl hunted the south end of the reed-bed and crop field before being driven off over the lorry park by a pair of Crows. Although a late record, there have been a number of birds seen throughout the Country in the last few days, presumably returning Scandinavian birds that came in as part of the influx last Autumn.
13 May 2016
– Overcast, north easterly
Not a great deal new to report. The “new” first-summer Meditteranean Gull was on Car Park Pool and one of the second-summer’s was on Railway Pool. In the overcast conditions, there were at least 80 Sand Martins and 30 Swifts over the Pools, but waders were limited to just two Little Ringed Plovers.
12 May 2016
– Sunny, breezy from the north-east.
Three Arctic Terns moved through to the north-east at 8.35 p.m. but the pools were relatively quiet with just a single Dunlin, two Ringed Plovers and two Little Ringed Plovers. A male Sparrowhawk went over and it would appear that the Lapwings in the crop field have hatched young as the female appeared to be brooding freshly hatched chicks.
A Hobby went straight through at 9.30am and three Mediterranean Gulls were on site, two second-summers on Railway Pool and a new first-summer on Car Park Pool. There was a single Little Egret, one Ringed Plover, four Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, 35 Swifts, 55 Greylags, 28 Common Terns, a drake Brewer’s Duck, four Shelduck and two Muntjac on the edge of the crop field; whilst broods of birds included 11 young Mallard on Car Park Pool, broods of eight and seven Greylags on Railway Pool, the first two Black-headed Gulls on Railway Pool, three Oystercatchers on Car Park Pool and three young Lapwings in the crop field.
11 May 2016
– Overcast, continuing wet, north-easterly wind.
The continuing unsettled weather brought in, first of all, a single Black Tern with three Arctic Terns which were still present by 9 a.m. Other birders then arrived and 15 further Black Terns dropped in to join the singleton, with all remaining for about 15 minutes before nine departed, leaving seven on site, with at least one Arctic Tern.
Compared to other localities in the Midlands, wader passage has been disappointing and there was just a single Dunlin and a lingering tundrae Ringed Plover.
At 8.30 a.m., there were approximately 100 Sand Martins and a single House Martin around Car Park Pool but by 9.15 to 9.30 a.m., at least 40 Swifts had come in to join the hirundines together with a handful of Swallows.
The three juvenile Whooper Swans that were seen on the 1st and may well have been seen again on the 5th, were seen initially this morning in Packington Park before departing and flying over Marsh Lane and dropping onto the scrapes on Lower Siden. The Swans then moved on to Car Park Pool later before being chased off to the north and returning to Packington Park for part of the afternoon.
Six Black Terns and one Arctic Tern remained on Railway Pool until dusk when they departed high to the north at 8.55 p.m.
Other birds during the day included a Snipe in the Marsh, three Ringed Plovers, three Mediterranean Gulls and one of the pairs of Oystercatchers on Car Park Pool has hatched out three chicks.
10 May 2016
– Mostly wet, east north-easterly wind.
News helpfully phoned in to me this morning concerns the re-appearance of the drake Garganey that was showing well from Oak Hide at 10 a.m.
Other birds today included a Cuckoo singing by Railway Hide, a single Dunlin, one Ringed Plover and three Little Ringed Plovers, one Common Sandpiper, a Shelduck, 30 Common Terns and the drake Brewer’s Duck.
Little Egret and Grey Wagtail were seen on the river near Patrick Bridge and there was a male Wheatear east of the A452.
Garden Warblers were in song on the Old Road and by the back gate and there was a Lesser Whitethroat also in song on the Old Road. Finally, a single Yellowhammer was feeding in the recently seeded crop field.
In the evening, six attended a decidedly wet work party and work undertaken included the treatment of stumps behind Railway Hide, the cutting back of the remaining Alders in front of Tower Hide, the sweeping out of both Tower and Lower Siden Hides and the strimming of most of the path through the Wood. Thanks to all those who attended.
9 May 2016
– Hazy sunshine, slowly clouding over with rain in the evening, easterly wind.
A Cuckoo was present at least during the middle of the day around the flood plain and over the car park and all four of the usual Mediterranean Gulls were present with a fifth bird, a new first-summer, present in the evening. The latter has a redder bill, less black on the head, and less brown in the wings and unlike the other first-summer, was acting territorially and displaying to the Black-headed Gulls.
Waders comprised two Common Sandpipers, three Ringed Plovers and three Little Ringed Plovers. Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat was singing by the car park gates and a male Goosander came in to roost and preen.
A last minute ringing session yielded 19 birds of which seven were Reed Warblers (10.7g to 11.5g), a Whitethroat, two Sedge Warblers, a Blackbird, a female Greenfinch with a full brood patch, two Chiffchaffs, a Wren, a female Blackcap and three re-traps (Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler). Three Lapwing pulli were ringed.
8 May 2016
Hot, sunny, temperatures up to 26 degrees Centigrade.
An amazing amazing 30 Black Terns dropped in for 20 minutes mid-morning before departing, prematurely, for most to see and enjoy. Although details were phoned in to Bird Guide, the information network unfortunately broke down because the writer’s phone was at home, but the writer was in Wales.
The passage was part of the national movement and the total of 30 surpassed the previous highest count of 21, almost exactly 16 years ago, on 7th May 2000. The Black Terns flew into Railway Pool from the south-east at approximately 10.30 when they flew around in a tight flock for 15-20 minutes but did not land. They then flew to Car Park Pool and then departed to the north.
A good supporting cast included a Hobby over the central streamline at 5 am, picked up as part of a moth trapping session and a Cuckoo at the same time. There were three Mediterranean Gulls, two Shelduck, three Common Sandpipers, a Ringed Plover, two Hobbies and an impressive 12 Oystercatchers. Later in the morning a pair of Hobbies saw distantly over the flood plain as viewed from Oak Hide. Lastly, there were two Grey Wagtails at Patrick Bridge.
7 May 2016
– Sun and afternoon heavy showers, north-easterly wind.
The all day bird count yielded 82 species, the same as last year, and there was precious little migration to help bolster numbers above the regular breeding birds. What passage there was appeared to be limited to three Common Sandpipers, a few Swifts, one Yellow Wagtailand, in the heavy showers in the afternoon, three Ringed Plovers of which one was a northern race with subdued colouring on the bill. Whether the other two were migrants or local birds was less clear as more Little Ringed Plovers also joined them on the Car Park Pool islands in the heavy showers.
A full count will follow.
6 May 2016
– Hazy sunshine, east, north-easterly wind.
The pools seemed quite first thing, but the field east of the A45 was busy with Lapwings – at least 45 chicks were visible this morning with three or four Skylarks also present.
Lesser Whitethroats were in song opposite the car park gates (where there was also a Garden Warbler) and behind Railway Hide.
5 May 2016
– Warm, sunny, south-easterly wind.
Two Mediterranean Gulls were present this morning, a second-summer on Car Park Pool and an adult on Railway Pool, whilst on the islands or the pools there were two Little Ringed Plovers, two Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, three Shelduck and 23 Common Terns. A Red Kite drifted south towards Balsall Common in the early afternoon when a Wheatear, initially found on the tip field, then flew to the fields east of the A452.
The Warbler count on the Old Road yielded nine Chiffchaffs, one Willow Warbler, three Whitethroats, four Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and three Goldcrests.
An early morning ringing session, concentrated on the Reedbed and the causeway, yielded 12 new Reed Warblers (clearly indicating a recent arrival) with the lowest weight of 10g and the heaviest at 12.1g, six new Sedge Warblers with a weight range of 9.8g to 12g and a Blackcap at 16.2g.
There were three re-traps, a pair of Reed Buntings and a Blue Tit which are believed to have arisen from ringing by the Brandon Marsh group.
4 May 2016
– Sunny, southerly wind.
All four Mediterranean Gulls were on site today along with 19 Common Terns and four Lesser Whitethroats (one on the railway embankment and three together opposite the car park gates). There was also a Garden Warbler in good song opposite the car park gates.
A female Goosander came in to the Reedbed Pool at 8.30 p.m.
3 May 2016
– Sunny, cool, brisk, south-westerly wind.
Two Black-tailed Godwits flew through Car Park Pool and away to the north at 6.45 a.m., this morning and all four Mediterranean Gulls were on site. Other Waders included two Dunlin, two Ringed Plover, two Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper. There was also a Yellow Wagtail through whilst, on the causeway, there was a singing Garden Warbler with a Lesser Whitethroat on the Old Road, with another by Siden Hill Wood.
2 May 2016
– Blustery south-westerly wind, cool, sunny intervals a.m., rain on and off p.m.
With the unsettled weather, a surprisingly quiet day for new arrivals today. The Dunlin from yesterday remained on site and there was also a Common Sandpiper, three Mediterranean Gulls were seen during the morning and a few Swifts came in and out along with a trickle of hirundines. A Lesser Whitethroat sang to the east of the south-west pond, towards the lorry park, where there was also a new Whitethroat.
At least 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seemingly in display flight over the pools and causing the Black-headed Gulls over Car Park Pool some distress. The Black-tailed Godwitappears to have moved on.
In the late afternoon / early evening, a Garden Warbler was in song on the causeway and a Yellow Wagtail flew over to the north.
1 May 2016
– Sunny, after overnight frost, high cloud, west, south-westerly wind.
Although a cold start, a slow change in the weather saw to it that the first Garden Warbler of the year was a bird singing intermittently at the west end of the causeway.
Much more out of season were three juvenile Whooper Swans that dropped in at approximately 9.45 a.m., stayed for about 15 to 20 minutes but were then chased off by the male Mute Swan and they flew off to the east.
Certainly not as unseasonal, but equally as good, were three Red Kites over together which drifted over Railway Pool mid-morning. All four Mediterranean Gulls were seen on site along with two Little Egrets and the Black-tailed Godwit remains. A Kingfisher was a relatively scarce visitor so far this year, to Car Park Pool, there was a Lesser Whitethroat in song by the entrance gate and, in the evening, 21 Common Terns roosted. A Fox wandered around the front of Car Park Hide and flushed a late Snipe, there was still a Dunlin present and three Swifts moved north over Siden Hill Wood as the evening unfolded.