Updates
9th to 16th May – Records added.
6th May – Photographs added.
27th April – Photograph added.
1st and 5th May – Records updated.
5th and 7th May – Photographs added.
29th May 2022
Cool northerly, sunny intervals.
Three adult Mediterranean Gulls were amongst the Black-heads on Railway today and Shoveler numbers had increased to three. A pair of Redshanks were again in the Marsh, and a male Teal was also favouring this area.
Four Little Ringed Plovers were present on the margins of the islands and other passerine interest included a Garden Warbler on the causeway, a family party of Goldcrests by the old bale store with a Treecreeper there, and 10 Rooks amongst other corvids on the flood plain.
28th May 2022
Sunny intervals, light northerly.
The adult Mediterranean Gull put in another of its intermittent appearances amongst the Black-heads on Railway Pool today. Plenty of warbler song included a Garden Warbler along the causeway and the Willow Warbler still by the back gate copse.
Green Woodpeckers around Railway Pool have obviously been successful again as there was a juvenile seen on the banks this morning.
The first brood of Oystercatchers from one of the two broods from the Car Park Pool islands has fledged and their two young were feeding in the newly sown crop field.
To the rear of Oak Hide, over 570 stems of Southern Marsh Orchid were counted today.
Other bird counts were as follows: seven Mute Swans, 22 Canadas, 62 Greylags, a pair of Egyptian Geese and six goslings, drake Shoveler, 40 Gadwall, 15 Mallard and three broods, drake Teal, 63 Tufted, nine Cormorants, two Herons, one Little Egret, three Little Grebes, 11 Moorhen, 16 Coot, just six Lapwings, a single Little Ringed Plover, 10 adult Oystercatchers and nine chicks, 600 Black-headed Gulls and 55 chicks (probably more than this but the vegetation is obscuring them), three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Greylag/Canada hybrid and 11 Common Terns.
Green Woodpecker from Railway Hide – photograph by Dale Rose
Odonata extended to 115 Azure, 22 Blue-tailed, one Red-eyed and two Large Red Damselflies, at least three Beautiful Demoiselles, four Banded Demoiselles, two Black-tailed Skimmers and four Four-spotted Chasers. Butterflies, once the weather warmed up, included a male Common Blue, three Green-veined Whites, a Small White, four Speckled Woods, a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell.
27th May 2022
Sunny, fresh north-westerly.
There is little change in the birds at the moment with most attention focused on the breeding birds. The female Pochard from the 25th was still present, and there was a lingering drake Teal. The pair of Egyptian Geese with six goslings were joined by 93 Greylags and 55 goslings. The former were very aggressive in their protection of their offspring.
The four broods of Oystercatchers are still showing with 11 adults present today, along with three Little Ringed Plovers and just two Swifts.
26th May 2022
Overcast, blustery, westerly wind.
No records.
25th May 2022
Overcast, drizzle, brightening later, strong south-westerly.
A female Pochard was a new arrival and there was still a drake Teal and the regular visiting adult Mediterranean Gull. A Peregrine went over but there were only three Common Terns this morning, perhaps affected by the weather.
15 Sand Martins and two Swifts were counted over the Car Park though birds were coming and going all day.
On the botanical front there are three emerging Bee Orchids under the cage by the small Car Park pond and there was a southern Marsh Orchid out behind Oak Hide.
24th May 2022
Sunny spells, fresh north-westerly.
The four Oystercatcher broods are still fortunately intact with two each on Car Park Pool and a three and a two on Railway Pool. The six Egyptian goslings were in the company of the three adults and there are now 97 Black-headed Gull chicks with the 98th being taken by a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The adult Mediterranean Gull came and went throughout the day and there were at least three Little Ringed Plovers present.
In the north causeway bay, a pair of Little Grebes now have two chicks.
23rd May 2022
Cloudy with occasional sunny spells, fresh south-westerly.
Aside from the adult Mediterranean Gull, and a Water Rail by the Dragonfly Pond there was not a great deal new to report. Gosling numbers were as follows, 38 Greylags, 24 Canadas, six Egyptian Geese and two goslings of mixed parentage.
22nd May 2022
Sunny intervals, cloud building from about 9.30am, increasing south-westerly.
In the blustery conditions there were at least two Swifts and 10 – 15 Sand Martins over the car park with birds coming and going throughout the morning. There was also a Painted Lady by the car park and a male Beautiful Demoiselle around the Reedbed with a Common Blue butterfly.
A Hobby, only the second of the year, put in a brief appearance over the central stream line before flying off high to the north-east.
Two pairs of Egyptian Geese included one with the six goslings on Car Park Pool and a further pair by Patrick Bridge.
Greylag Geese and six goslings – photograph by Stef Fraczek
The adult Mediterranean Gull put in a brief appearance on Railway Pool where there were five Little Ringed Plovers and a colour-ringed Redshank. Two Shelduck flew over and the Garden Warbler remains in song by the car park.
Heron being mobbed by Gull – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
21st May 2022
Cloudy start, sunny intervals.
In the less clement conditions early on, five Swifts, at least 50 Sand Martins and 10 House Martins were present over the pools.
As the day wore on and became slightly warmer, both butterflies and odonata emerged with three Beautiful Demoiselles, fifteen Blue-tailed Damselflies, 30 Azure Damselflies and six Large Red Damselflies. Two Four-spotted Chasers, three Black-tailed Skimmers plus four Orange-tips, seven Green-veined Whites and a Red Admiral made up the other counts. A Fox cub was seen by the back gate copse and in the evening a Muntjac and a new fawn were wading up the stream from the causeway.
Full counts of birds were as follows: six Mute Swans, 66 Greylags and 40 goslings, 20 Canadas and 10 goslings, three adult Egyptian Geese and six goslings, 66 Gadwall, 17 Mallard and nine ducklings, two drake Teal, 104 Tufted, eight Cormorants, three Herons, just one Dab chick, eight Moorhens, 16 Coot, eight Oystercatchers with four broods, five Little Ringed Plovers, nine Lapwings with two broods, a Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 925 Black-headed Gulls and 85 chicks and four Lesser black-backed Gulls.
20th May 2022
Overcast with showers, fresh south-westerly.
Counts early on included just a single Egyptian Goose, two drake Teal, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 11 Oystercatchers and the four broods, five Little Ringed Plovers, a Water Rail, five Swifts, 15 Sand Martins, 10 Swallows and five House Martins.
Later on there was a separate pair of Egyptian Geese on the flood plain.
19th May 2022
Cloudy, westerly.
The single adult Mediterranean Gull was present on and off for much of the day, often calling in flight. At least four Little Ringed Plovers and a Redshank were seen throughout the day and there was a Painted Lady around the car park in the afternoon.
18th May 2022
Sunny spells, fresh south-easterly.
A Red Kite went over at 10.30 and a Painted Lady was seen to the north of the Reserve around Patrick Bridge.
Common Twayblades are now coming into flower in the back gate copse and the orchids in the field behind Oak Hide are beginning to show.
A Kingfisher was hunting the river by Patrick Bridge and on the Reserve there were three drake Teal and a new brood of six Mallard ducklings in the south-west pond.
17th May 2022
Cloudy, light but increasing southerly.
The female Goosander and two chicks were spotted again along the stream just north of Car Park Pool this morning. The odd late hirundine moved north including a Swallow at 11.40. Three broods of nine Mallard ducklings were counted and there was a Common Blue butterfly by the car park and three Brimstones, including two males by the cottages.
Orange-tip drinking from the flower of a Cuckoo plant – photograph by Stef Fraczek
Whitethroat from Railway Hide – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
16th May 2022
Overcast, light south-westerly wind, some showers, brighter pm.
There was a single Dunlin on the Car Park Pool islands all day and there was also a single Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, one Redshank, one Shelduck and two drake Teal.
Broods extended on site to two each for Oystercatcher on Car Park Pool and Railway Pool, just a single Lapwing chick on Railway Pool, five broods of Canadas, three broods of Greylags, two broods of Moorhen and now 80 Black-headed Gull chicks.
15th May 2022
Mostly overcast with some showers.
A Red Kite flew over at 11.30 am and a Cuckoo was heard, the first calling bird recorded so far this year.
An Egyptian Goose flew through, a pair of Great Crested Grebes joined two male Teal and there was a Common Sandpiper, five Little Ringed Plovers and a Redshank.
A Shelduck also flew over in the early afternoon and the Willow Warbler remains in song at the back gate and it was heard to include some Chiffchaff notes in its song.
14th May 2022
Bright, sunny, slight south-westerly wind.
A Barn Owl showed on occasions at both the beginning and end of the day today and a possible Yellow-legged Gull on Railway Pool in the afternoon was a different bird to yesterday.
At least two Garden Warblers were in song, possibly three and the Lesser Whitethroat was heard occasionally along the Old Road.
Other counts today were as follows: six Mute Swans, 26 Canadas and 19 goslings in four broods, the Canada / Greylag hybrid, 43 Greylags and 24 goslings from four broods, one Shelduck, 47 Gadwall, 15 Mallard and nine ducklings from three broods, a drake Teal, 125 Tufted Ducks, one Little Egret, ten Moorhen, 29 Coot, two Little Grebes, 19 Lapwing and two chicks (down to one on each pool), seven Oystercatchers and three chicks (two Car Park Pool and one Railway Pool), one Redshank, five Little Ringed Plover, 1200 Black-headed Gulls and 40 chicks, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 23 Common Terns, three singing Cetti’s Warblers and a Grey Wagtail along the Central Stream.
Butterflies included at least 20 Green-veined Whites, ten Orange-tips, two Brimstone, a Speckled Wood and at least one Holly Blue. Odonata extended to at least three Beautiful Demoiselles, two Banded Demoiselles, one Four-spotted Chaser, 17 Large-Red, 17 Azure, nine Blue-tailed and two Common Blue Damselflies.
Lastly, a Muntjac was seen around the car park.
13th May 2022
Sunny spells, strong south-westerly wind.
Today’s main highlights were a drake Garganey that was initially on Car Park Pool but moved to Railway Pool later in the day and showed reasonably well from time to time. A tundrae race Ringed Plover was a new arrival and other waders included five Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper and two Redshanks.
A Yellow Wagtail flew over Railway Pool and from early afternoon a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull roosted on Tern Island and then flew around in the late afternoon and early evening. There was also a first-summer Herring Gull present.
Two Lapwing broods (two on Car Park Pool and two on Railway Pool) added to the broods. There were also six Greylag goslings and 48 Black-headed Gull chicks.
Odonata extended to four Large-Red Damselflies, 15 Azure Damselflies, one Red-eyed Damselfly and a Blue-tailed Damselfly.
12th May 2022
Sunny, cool south-westerly wind.
Two of yesterday’s five Dunlin remained on Car Park Pool and just after 8.45 am, a Wood Sandpiper appeared on Railway Pool and after initial elusiveness, showed really well in front of Oak Hide in the Marsh.
A Cuckoo flew over the car park at mid-day but was again not calling. 20 Swifts went over Railway Pool along with four Sand Martins at 6 pm; a pair of Teal remain on Car Park Pool and a Garden Warbler was in song by the car park gates with a second around the Back Gate Copse.
Wood Sandpiper – Photograph by Martin Durkin
Wood Sandpiper – Photograph by Stef Fraczek – taken from Oak Hide
11th May 2022
Overcast, rain, fresh southerly wind with the rain clearing in the early afternoon and sunny intervals.
Three Dunlin were new in and there were five Little Ringed Plovers today, together with a lingering drake Teal and also a Great Crested Grebe.
19 Canada Goose goslings were counted and the two Oystercatcher chicks were still present on Car Park Pool where there were three new Lapwing chicks.
Later in the day the Dunlin count increased to five and there were four House Martins around the car park before moving on at 2 pm.
As the weather improved in the afternoon, 40 Swifts went over to the north and a tundrae race Ringed Plover dropped in.
10th May 2022
Cloudy, westerly wind.
The only records today were of a Common Sandpiper and a Redshank.
9th May 2022
Overcast with some light rain, light south-westerly wind.
There were no records during the day but, in the evening, two different Barn Owls were seen, one flying around the North Causeway Bay at about 8.20 am disturbed by a Fox and a second around the car park at just after 9 am.
The female Goosander with two now much older chicks were roosting on one of the car park islands and the evening Common Tern count was the best this year so far, amounting to 35.
Other records of note included a Great Crested Grebe on Car Park Pool (there seem to be no nesting attempts this year), a Shelduck on Railway Pool along with a Common Sandpiper, four Little Ringed Plovers spread between the two pools, one Little Egret, two Teal, a Redshank, two Herring Gulls, the Oystercatcher with two chicks on Car Park Pool and at least 2200 adult Black-headed Gulls and ten newly hatched chicks. A Roe Deer was feeding around the margins of Railway Pool at dusk.
8th May 2022
Overcast and cool start, turning sunny with a light easterly wind.
Yesterday’s male Wheatear, probably of the Greenland variety, showed for longer along the Concrete Road towards the underpass. There were two Common Sandpipers on Car Park Pool, a Herring Gull on Railway Pool, a Lesser Whitethroat in song along the Concrete Road and a Red-legged Partridge east of the A452.
What was presumably yesterday’s Cuckoo was seen again, briefly, around the car park but it was not in song.
Two Garden Warblers still in song were around the back gate area and by the car park gates. There were still a pair of Shoveler on the pools, two Sparrowhawks were seen, Common Terns reached at least 19 and butterflies noted included three Peacocks, a Brimstone and several Orange-tips.
7th May 2022
Sunny, light north-northerly wind, after light overnight rain.
Today was the all day bird count which takes place across a number of Reserves in the Midlands and the Marsh Lane tally was 83. A full list is below.
The best of the records, were the first Swifts and the first Cuckoo of the year. The former went north over Siden Hill Wood in the morning and the latter, presumably a female, was seen around the car park on a number of occasions throughout the day.
Common Tern from Car Park Hide – Photograph by Ray Allen
The only other migrants in the true sense were a summer plumaged Dunlin on Railway Pool for part of the day, a Common Sandpiper that was seen in a number of places and a Wheatear which was present again around the Dragonfly Pond / Concrete Road area. A Red Kite flew north over the car park at 1.45 and lingering winter wildfowl included a pair of Shoveler and a pair of Teal.
Wheatear – Concrete Road – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
The warm weather brought out plenty of Orange-tips, three Brimstone and a Comma, together with one Large White and a good number of Green-veined Whites. Odonata extended to two Banded Demoiselle and a Beautiful Demoiselle, all on the Old Road, and five Large Red Damselflies around the Dragonfly Pond.
The full list of birds is: Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Heron, Little Egret, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Cuckoo, Swift, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Wheatear, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Chiff Chaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer and Reed Buntings.
6th May 2022
Mostly overcast.
Other than a Redshank and the Oystercatcher pair with two young on the Car Park Pool islands, there were no other records today.
Mute Swan – Packhorse Bridge – Photograph by Ray Allen
Canada Geese and Goslings – from Oak Hide – Photograph by Ray Allen
Great White Egret – being mobbed by nesting birds (Oystercatcher shown in photograph) by Roger Dickens
5th May 2022
Sunny intervals, light south westerly.
An Artic Tern went through high and direct to the north at 9:20. A Peregrine and three Ravens were also seen.
A White Wagtail appeared briefly on Car Park Pool and there were at least 25 Common Terns. Two first-summer Mediterranean Gulls put in a brief appearance.
On the floodplain there was a Common Sandpiper and a Little Egret and along the Concrete Road later in the day, a male Wheatear together with a Whitethroat there. Presumably, a different Common Sandpiper was recorded from Oak Hide in the evening where there were two pairs of Canada Geese with Goslings three and five.
A male Wheatear was seen briefly around the Concrete Road in the afternoon.
Whitethroat – Concrete Road – Photograph by Stef Fraczek
4th May 2022
Overcast, showers, fresh south westerly.
A Yellow Wagtail flew over the car park at 9am, another elusive one of this species. Few have lingered for any length of time so far this year.
Graham Rowling has done a count of Black-headed Gull nest and estimates 830 and there were two Mediterranean Gulls present today, a second-summer and a first-summer. The female Goosander was seen again along with five Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper.
Lapwing taken from Car Park Hide – Photograph by Tony Burbery
A female Muntjac was on the edge of Railway Pool and there was a dead Fox Cub by Railway Hide where I think they may have den.
At about 12:30pm a Great White Egret came into Car Park but was chased off by Gulls towards the floodplain but there was no further sign. A pair of Red-legged Partridge were seen along the Concrete Road and the Garden Warbler was again in song by the car park gates.
Cowslips – Photograph by Nick Barlow
3rd May 2022
A Whimbrel was the bird of the day, coming in late morning and was still present into the mid afternoon period showing well and feeding on the grass in front of Car Park Pool.
The male Channel Wagtail with the female Yellow Wagtail were again briefly on the floodplain but quickly disappeared.
Three Mediterranean Gulls, four Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, 20 Common Terns, a drake Teal, four drake and two female Shoveler and a Redshank were the other main birds making the log.
There seems to now be just one singing Willow Warbler left by Railway Hide. All other main Warblers are in with the Lesser Whitethroat wandering up and down the Old Road but favouring the area along the top stream but occasionally making it to the Car Park Gates.
In the late afternoon, the Fox was seen to take a Lapwing chick on Railway Pool and the animal was patrolling the Margins in front of Oak Hide in the evening when a work party carried out more translocation of Yellow Flag to supplement the cover in the Marsh and on the islands.
Also, in the evening there were seven Pied Wagtails on the floodplain and a female Goosander could be seen on the river.
Whimbrel – Photograph by Jon Coakley
2nd May 2022
Overcast.
A mobile female Wheatear was seen between the underpass, the bale store and the old Aero Modellers field during the day and a Dunlin was also a new arrival.
One of the pairs of Oystercatchers on Car Park Pool now has two chicks and there were two Mallard broods, one on Car Park Pool of two and one of four on Railway Pool. The five Canada Goose Goslings were also still present on Railway Pool.
The female Goosander with two ducklings was viewable on the river from the floodplain gate. A male Teal and a pair of Shoveler were the other wildfowl of note.
In the afternoon, there were 18 Pied Wagtails and ten Starlings on the floodplain along with five Egyptian Geese. A good gathering of hirundines was subject to constant turnover. The birds were feeding up and down the river although concentrating towards Patrick Bridge and the maximum at any one time was 25 Sand Martins and two Swallows. Singing Garden Warblers were present at either end of Old Road, one by the Dragonfly Pond and one by the cottages.
1st May 2022
Weather was cool with some drizzle.
A female Yellow Wagtail appeared briefly on the floodplain but did not linger, similar to the others in the previous few days.
Other bits and pieces included two Common Sandpipers on Car Park Pool along with four Little Ringed Plovers, three Teal, a pair of Shoveler and a single Redshank.
In the middle of the afternoon there were at least 20 Swallows and two each of House Martin and Sand Martin over the north end of Car Park Pool.
The year’s first Hobby was seen from Patrick Bridge hunting the flood plain area.