9.30-12 o'clock. The place bursting with birdsong.. especially the summer Warblers. Highlights were :-1 Common Buzzard... 1 female Pheasant... 1 Jay... and dozens of House Martins high above out of sight apart from binoculars.
Ernest Sherman said
Fri Apr 30 7:29 PM, 2021
9.30-11.30. Really overgrown now with very little open water as opposed to a couple of years ago... Highlights were.... 1 flushed Common Snipe... 1 Grey Heron... 2 Common Whitethroat... 2 male Reed Buntings...
Plenty of Blackcap and Chiffchaff... a few Willow Warblers... 1 Common Buzzard overhead.
Craig Higson said
Mon Apr 12 12:21 AM, 2021
At least three singing Blackcaps on the path from Kestrel Drive. Also I could hear, if not see what sounded like a decent flock of Siskins farther along the same path.
Craig Higson said
Sat Jan 2 5:10 PM, 2021
Two Tawny Owls roosting.
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Oct 16 10:23 AM, 2020
Friday 16 October 2020
A quick stomp around the lake and "wetland" before work this morning: 1 Peregrine north-west 17 Moorhen 1 Grey Heron 56 Mallard 3 Coot 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Snipe 2 Siskin 6 Redwing north 1 Treecreeper with a bunch of Long-tailed Tit.
Rob Thorpe said
Sun Jul 5 6:23 PM, 2020
Sunday 05 July 2020
A Garden Warbler was singing this afternoon, at the junction of the path from the feeding station and the path from Kestrel Drive.
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Jan 31 5:10 PM, 2020
Friday 31 January 2020
Super-quiet early this afternoon, after the rain had stopped... 4 Black-headed Gull
Rob Thorpe said
Thu Jan 30 1:50 PM, 2020
Thursday 30 January 2020
Early afternoon: 105 Black-headed Gull 1 Herring Gull (ad.) 1 Kestrel over 8 Redwing over 1 Pied Wagtail
Rob Thorpe said
Thu Jan 30 7:45 AM, 2020
Wednesday 29 January 2020
Just 3 Black-headed Gull early afternoon.
Rob Thorpe said
Mon Jan 27 1:54 PM, 2020
Monday 27 January 2020
c145 Black-headed Gull early afternoon, otherwise quiet, except for the machinery being used to resurface the lakeside paths.
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Jan 24 1:41 PM, 2020
Friday 24 January 2020
Usual early afternoon stroll: 63 Black-headed Gull 1 Herring Gull (ad.) 9 Goosander (5 (4m, 1f) on the lake, another 4 over headed south) 2 Mistle Thrush
Rob Thorpe said
Thu Jan 23 2:05 PM, 2020
Thursday 23 January 2020
Early afternoon: 105 Black-headed Gull A Tawny Owl hooting
Rob Thorpe said
Wed Jan 22 9:50 PM, 2020
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Early afternoon: 86 Black-headed Gull 1 Goosander (drake) 1 Grey Wagtail over 1 Pied Wagtail over
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Jan 21 1:11 PM, 2020
Tuesday 21 January 2020
Early afternoon in the drizzle: c130 Black-headed Gull 1 Herring Gull (ad.) 1 Grey Wagtail over A noisy flock of around 10 Siskin
Rob Thorpe said
Mon Jan 20 1:17 PM, 2020
Monday 20 January 2020
Early afternoon in the sunshine: 160(ish) Black-headed Gull 3 Herring Gull (2 ad, 1 1w)
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Jan 17 1:51 PM, 2020
Friday 17 January 2020
Early afternoon, quiet (except for the racing circuit!) 59 Black-headed Gull 3 drake Goosander
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Jan 14 3:38 PM, 2020
Tuesday 14 January 2020
Early afternoon, nobody out feeding the ducks in the poor weather, so gull numbers down: 22 Black-headed Gull 1 Herring Gull
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Jan 10 2:19 PM, 2020
Friday 10 January 2020
Early afternoon: 162 Black-headed Gull 5 Goosander (4m, 1f) 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Rob Thorpe said
Thu Jan 9 1:21 PM, 2020
Thursday 09 January 2020
Early afternoon: Black-headed Gull numbers still around 110 1 Herring Gull A group of around 10 Siskin along the entrance road
Rob Thorpe said
Wed Jan 8 5:01 PM, 2020
Wednesday 08 January 2020
Another brief early-afternoon visit: Around 110 Black-headed Gull 3 Goosander (1m 2f)
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Jan 7 1:18 PM, 2020
Tuesday 07 January 2020
Just after midday, Black-headed Gulls now down to around 90. 1 adult Herring Gull 4 drake Goosander
Rob Thorpe said
Mon Jan 6 1:58 PM, 2020
Monday 06 January 2020
Early afternoon, and with the car park empty, so nobody to feed them, Black-headed Gull numbers were down to around 170. 4 drake Goosander also.
Rob Thorpe said
Thu Jan 2 2:53 PM, 2020
Thursday 02 January 2020
11 Goosander on the main lake early afternoon, along with around 300 Black-headed Gulls. Also c35 Lapwing on the bus depot roof, first time I've seen them here this winter.
Craig Higson said
Fri Feb 1 7:39 PM, 2019
Despite a really good look there was no sign of the usual roosting Tawny Owl. Single Kingfisher and a female Goosander both flew over looking for non-existent open water!
On at least two occasions I could have sworn I heard distant Crossbills. I didn't see anything and the calls were very distant. There are a few pines on the site but not so many as to hold any Crossbills for any period I wouldn't have thought, but the two instances were a good 1/2 or 3/4 hour apart. Maybe birds being pushed around by the cold snap?
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Nov 16 5:31 PM, 2018
Friday 16 November 2018 Brambling(s) heard between the lake and Kestrel Drive this morning, whilst I was running.
dave broome said
Sat Mar 17 11:06 AM, 2018
Friday 16th March: 3 Gadwall on lake
Craig Higson said
Sun Feb 11 9:16 PM, 2018
Really quiet today, although that's probably to do with the fact it was 2pm when I got on site.
Tawny Owl still in its roost. 2 redhead Goosander on the lake with well over 100 Black-headed Gulls - Couldn't count them properly as they were all over the place chasing bits of bread. There seemed like a really good number of Mallard too, although again I didn't even attempt a count. Passerines were thin on the ground with just a few Goldfinches and Chaffinches.
-- Edited by Craig Higson on Sunday 11th of February 2018 10:34:10 PM
Jeff Gorse said
Sun Jan 14 3:39 PM, 2018
Morning walk in grey and bitterly cold conditions. Sightings included :-
4x redhead goosander on the water.
Roosting tawny owl - very difficult to spot today.
Willow, coal, blue, great and long-tailed tits on the feeding station. Bullfinch in the woods.
Small flock of redwing in Viridor Woods, also here a buzzard and grey heron flying over and kestrel hunting on the edge of the wood. Siskin and goldfinch in the conifers.
dave broome said
Sun Dec 31 2:52 PM, 2017
Birds today included 3 Willow Tit, Treecreeper, Tawny Owl and 12 Redwing, also 2 Siskin heard
Jeff Gorse said
Sat Dec 30 7:57 AM, 2017
Late post for Thursday, beautiful sunny conditions on a walk round the site and Viridor Wood. Highlights :-
Willow tit x 1, long-tailed tit x8, great spotted woodpecker x1, reed bunting x2 on the feeding station along with the regulars, briefly spooked when a female sparrowhawk went through the woods behind the feeders.
1x buzzard over Viridor Wood. Small flock of fieldfare and redwing here also.
4x bullfinch in the woods. Also a large flock of goldfinch with smaller numbers of siskin feeding in the alders along the edge of Three Sisters (where it borders Viridor).
Craig Higson said
Sat Dec 23 7:01 PM, 2017
Went in search of roosting Long-eared owls today, checking out their old roost spots. Sadly none to be seen, although I did find a Tawny Owl which is a first for me at Three Sisters and may explain the lack of Long-Eareds as (if memory serves) Tawnys can and will 'evict' Long-Eareds. Must admit to being a bit surprised at finding a Tawny. I didn't think the woodland had matured to a point that it was now suitable habitat.
Otherwise quiet - 4 Goosander on the lake, a small number of Redpolls were heard but only single birds and no big flocks.
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Oct 27 1:56 PM, 2017
Friday 27 October 2017
A very vocal Brambling with 2 Goldfinch in the lakeside trees, early afternoon.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Friday 27th of October 2017 02:02:47 PM
Jeff Gorse said
Wed Sep 20 8:05 PM, 2017
Mid afternoon walk before the rain set in. Sightings :-
Sparrowhawk soaring over Bryn Gates end of the site.
Young cormorant on the main water.
Nuthatch, blue tit, great tit, long-tailed tit, willow tit on the feeding station.
Good numbers of jay throughout the site.
Jeff Gorse said
Thu Sep 7 7:14 PM, 2017
Gloomy and breezy conditions ahead of the rain this afternoon. Sightings included :-
Large flock of long-tailed tits, great tit, blue tit foraging in the nature reserve area, two willow warbler also calling in this area. Buzzard seen distantly in direction of Viridor Wood and kestrel later seen hunting over the farmland on the edge of the woods. Two jays flitting amongst the trees on the edge of the farmland. Bullfinch heard and 2 x chaffinch and 4 x goldfinch seen on the edge of the woods. Treecreeper giving decent views as it foraged up and down the large tree at the feeding station.
Jeff Gorse said
Fri May 19 5:01 PM, 2017
Three Sisters mid-pm
Four singing whitethroat in the scrubland around the hide and the ponds. Also reed warbler from the scrubland in front of the hide. Willow warbler, blackcap and chiffchaff all singing from the woodland around the Arena Hill footpath along with a group of long-tailed tits. Jay giving good views from the bird feeding station.
dave broome said
Tue Nov 15 12:38 PM, 2016
11 Goosander on the lake this morning
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Nov 4 10:15 AM, 2016
Thursday 03 November 2016
3 Goosander (all red-heads) on the main lake at midday.
Ernest Sherman said
Fri Oct 14 1:32 PM, 2016
Morning visit....10.15-12.15
2 Kestrels. 1male Kestrel swooped into grass and caught a small mammal.
1 Common Buzzard
1 Grey Heron
1 female Mallard Duck
Pair of Teal
Several Moorhen
Several Jay
1male Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Wrens
2 Robins
Dozen Meadow Pipits mobbing Kestrels.
Ernest Sherman said
Sun Oct 9 4:29 PM, 2016
Early morning trip here produced 1 Kingfisher.
Ernest Sherman said
Wed Sep 21 5:04 PM, 2016
Not been here for a while.The last time I came here it was very promising with waders but now the water levels are just too high.Can anything be done about this?
Bernard McGurrin said
Mon Apr 18 7:47 PM, 2016
managed a couple of hours this afternoon main lake- pair greylag geese with 6 goslings, 17 mute swan, 2 canada geese, c60 mallard, black headed gulls, coot, moorhen, 3 swallow, wetlands hide- 7 coot, 2 moorhen, kestrel, feeding station, plenty chaffinch and reed bunting, bullfinch, great tit, blue tit, treecreeper giving excellent views, general woodlands- plenty blackbird, jay, long tailed tit, mistle thrush,magpie, wood pigeon, buzzard, robin,wren, willow warbler, chiffchaff,
nice to meet Ian, enjoyed our chat, hope to see you again.
-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Monday 18th of April 2016 07:48:57 PM
Rob Thorpe said
Wed Nov 11 2:21 PM, 2015
Another quick early afternoon visit, Lake-side car park area only (no binoculars etc): Much the same as yesterday 6 Goosander 2 Common Gull 1 Herring Gull 200+ Black-headed Gull 1 Nuthatch
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Nov 10 2:28 PM, 2015
Main Lake, early afternoon: 6 Goosander 2 Common Gull 1 Herring Gull 250+ Black-headed Gull 1 Grey Heron
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 02:29:18 PM
Rob Thorpe said
Mon Nov 9 2:01 PM, 2015
1 Treecreeper around the lakeside car park early afternoon.
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Nov 3 3:30 PM, 2015
2 Nuthatch in trees between the Car Park and the Lake early this afternoon.
Keith Williams said
Fri Mar 6 4:18 PM, 2015
No sign of the Mediterranean Gull this lunchtime though there was a very nice Drake Pochard.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Mar 5 4:50 PM, 2015
Mediterranean Gull still present this afternoon, coming to bread being fed to the ducks!
Info thanks to Mark Champion
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Mar 4 8:35 PM, 2015
Virtually full breeding plumaged Mediterranean Gull present this afternoon.
This afternoon a very tame or ill drake pintail was on the main lake. Also today, 4 goosander and about 5 siskins.
A quick stomp around the lake and "wetland" before work this morning:
1 Peregrine north-west
17 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron
56 Mallard
3 Coot
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Snipe
2 Siskin
6 Redwing north
1 Treecreeper with a bunch of Long-tailed Tit.
A Garden Warbler was singing this afternoon, at the junction of the path from the feeding station and the path from Kestrel Drive.
Super-quiet early this afternoon, after the rain had stopped...
4 Black-headed Gull
Early afternoon:
105 Black-headed Gull
1 Herring Gull (ad.)
1 Kestrel over
8 Redwing over
1 Pied Wagtail
Just 3 Black-headed Gull early afternoon.
c145 Black-headed Gull early afternoon, otherwise quiet, except for the machinery being used to resurface the lakeside paths.
Usual early afternoon stroll:
63 Black-headed Gull
1 Herring Gull (ad.)
9 Goosander (5 (4m, 1f) on the lake, another 4 over headed south)
2 Mistle Thrush
Early afternoon:
105 Black-headed Gull
A Tawny Owl hooting
Early afternoon:
86 Black-headed Gull
1 Goosander (drake)
1 Grey Wagtail over
1 Pied Wagtail over
Early afternoon in the drizzle:
c130 Black-headed Gull
1 Herring Gull (ad.)
1 Grey Wagtail over
A noisy flock of around 10 Siskin
Early afternoon in the sunshine:
160(ish) Black-headed Gull
3 Herring Gull (2 ad, 1 1w)
Early afternoon, quiet (except for the racing circuit!)
59 Black-headed Gull
3 drake Goosander
Early afternoon, nobody out feeding the ducks in the poor weather, so gull numbers down:
22 Black-headed Gull
1 Herring Gull
Early afternoon:
162 Black-headed Gull
5 Goosander (4m, 1f)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Early afternoon:
Black-headed Gull numbers still around 110
1 Herring Gull
A group of around 10 Siskin along the entrance road
Another brief early-afternoon visit:
Around 110 Black-headed Gull
3 Goosander (1m 2f)
Just after midday, Black-headed Gulls now down to around 90.
1 adult Herring Gull
4 drake Goosander
Early afternoon, and with the car park empty, so nobody to feed them, Black-headed Gull numbers were down to around 170. 4 drake Goosander also.
11 Goosander on the main lake early afternoon, along with around 300 Black-headed Gulls. Also c35 Lapwing on the bus depot roof, first time I've seen them here this winter.
On at least two occasions I could have sworn I heard distant Crossbills. I didn't see anything and the calls were very distant. There are a few pines on the site but not so many as to hold any Crossbills for any period I wouldn't have thought, but the two instances were a good 1/2 or 3/4 hour apart. Maybe birds being pushed around by the cold snap?
Brambling(s) heard between the lake and Kestrel Drive this morning, whilst I was running.
Friday 16th March: 3 Gadwall on lake
Tawny Owl still in its roost. 2 redhead Goosander on the lake with well over 100 Black-headed Gulls - Couldn't count them properly as they were all over the place chasing bits of bread. There seemed like a really good number of Mallard too, although again I didn't even attempt a count. Passerines were thin on the ground with just a few Goldfinches and Chaffinches.
-- Edited by Craig Higson on Sunday 11th of February 2018 10:34:10 PM
Morning walk in grey and bitterly cold conditions. Sightings included :-
4x redhead goosander on the water.
Roosting tawny owl - very difficult to spot today.
Willow, coal, blue, great and long-tailed tits on the feeding station. Bullfinch in the woods.
Small flock of redwing in Viridor Woods, also here a buzzard and grey heron flying over and kestrel hunting on the edge of the wood. Siskin and goldfinch in the conifers.
Late post for Thursday, beautiful sunny conditions on a walk round the site and Viridor Wood. Highlights :-
Willow tit x 1, long-tailed tit x8, great spotted woodpecker x1, reed bunting x2 on the feeding station along with the regulars, briefly spooked when a female sparrowhawk went through the woods behind the feeders.
1x buzzard over Viridor Wood. Small flock of fieldfare and redwing here also.
4x bullfinch in the woods. Also a large flock of goldfinch with smaller numbers of siskin feeding in the alders along the edge of Three Sisters (where it borders Viridor).
Otherwise quiet - 4 Goosander on the lake, a small number of Redpolls were heard but only single birds and no big flocks.
A very vocal Brambling with 2 Goldfinch in the lakeside trees, early afternoon.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Friday 27th of October 2017 02:02:47 PM
Mid afternoon walk before the rain set in. Sightings :-
Sparrowhawk soaring over Bryn Gates end of the site.
Young cormorant on the main water.
Nuthatch, blue tit, great tit, long-tailed tit, willow tit on the feeding station.
Good numbers of jay throughout the site.
Gloomy and breezy conditions ahead of the rain this afternoon. Sightings included :-
Large flock of long-tailed tits, great tit, blue tit foraging in the nature reserve area, two willow warbler also calling in this area. Buzzard seen distantly in direction of Viridor Wood and kestrel later seen hunting over the farmland on the edge of the woods. Two jays flitting amongst the trees on the edge of the farmland. Bullfinch heard and 2 x chaffinch and 4 x goldfinch seen on the edge of the woods. Treecreeper giving decent views as it foraged up and down the large tree at the feeding station.
Three Sisters mid-pm
Four singing whitethroat in the scrubland around the hide and the ponds. Also reed warbler from the scrubland in front of the hide. Willow warbler, blackcap and chiffchaff all singing from the woodland around the Arena Hill footpath along with a group of long-tailed tits. Jay giving good views from the bird feeding station.
11 Goosander on the lake this morning
3 Goosander (all red-heads) on the main lake at midday.
main lake- pair greylag geese with 6 goslings, 17 mute swan, 2 canada geese, c60 mallard, black headed gulls, coot, moorhen, 3 swallow,
wetlands hide- 7 coot, 2 moorhen, kestrel,
feeding station, plenty chaffinch and reed bunting, bullfinch, great tit, blue tit, treecreeper giving excellent views,
general woodlands- plenty blackbird, jay, long tailed tit, mistle thrush,magpie, wood pigeon, buzzard, robin,wren, willow warbler, chiffchaff,
nice to meet Ian, enjoyed our chat, hope to see you again.
-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Monday 18th of April 2016 07:48:57 PM
Much the same as yesterday
6 Goosander
2 Common Gull
1 Herring Gull
200+ Black-headed Gull
1 Nuthatch
Main Lake, early afternoon:
6 Goosander
2 Common Gull
1 Herring Gull
250+ Black-headed Gull
1 Grey Heron
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 02:29:18 PM
1 Treecreeper around the lakeside car park early afternoon.
2 Nuthatch in trees between the Car Park and the Lake early this afternoon.
Info thanks to Mark Champion
Info thanks to Mark Champion