Greenshank and Common Sandpiper present at 11am today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Yesterday, Dam/wood/Lock Lane:

Nuthatch.....1 Juv.

Coal Tit.... 1 juv

Moorhen....1

Linnet.... 3

Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Ringed Plover and 53 Lapwing present at 11am today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Juvenile Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Tit, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plover and an adult Mediterranean Gull by 11:30am today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

2 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plover, adult Mediterranean Gull, 48 Lapwing and 3 Common Tern present late morning.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Ringed Plover and a drake Wigeon present this evening.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, 3 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Ringed Plover and 24 Lapwing at 9pm this evening.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

This afternoon up to 2.40 Main Lodge, using restricted area for viewing; restrictions still in place until the 16/07/18

Common Tern....1

Oystercatcher....6

Common Sandpiper.1

Greenshank....1

Little Ringed Plover....4

Grey Heron...1 juv.

Pied Wagtail...  3 juvs.

Lapwing....17

Lesser Black-backed Gull....4

Great Crested Grebe....4

This evening:

2 Greenshank

Juvenile Redshank

2 Ringed Plover

3 Little Ringed Plover

Curlew

7 Oystercatcher

14 Lapwing

2 Common Gull

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Increased numbers of Lesser Blacked-back Gulls, 35 present and Great Crested Grebe,7 present.

Lots of Juvenile Jackdaws, and a single nicely coloured Linnet. 6 Coots together at the Dam.

2 Greenshank this evening, plus 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Ringed Plover and a Snipe.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Sunbathing Grasshopper Warbler this morning (photo attached), along with a Greenshank, 2 Ringed Plover ,Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

Info thanks toPhil Rhodes

Greenshank, 5 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Ringed Plover and an adult Mediterranean Gull present at 9:30 this morning.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

4 adult Redshank, singles of Greenshank and Common Sandpiper with 5 Little Ringed Plover at 11:20am today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Curlew also present this morning.

Info thanks to Andy Makin

1.30 to 3.30 today: Hot and sunny.

Greenshank....1 after 40 minutes of ''no show'' it came off the back of south isle in a flush of other birds. Returning to the southern tip where it showed well.

Oystercatcher...12 this is my highest count this year. 9 chattering together near my scoping position.

Ringed Plover....1

Lapwing....45 flushed off island with Gulls.

Great Crested Grebe...2

Grey Heron....1

Tufted Duck...1

In the wood was a Nuthatch and a juvenile Nuthatch

Common Terns....2 sat, I think, forlornly on the dam gantry, their young having been predated . Almost certainly by a Fox.(see Rumworth other wildlife).

Late morning today:

Greenshank

3 Common Sandpiper

8 Little Ringed Plover

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Common Tern...1 no sign of the female with chicks.

Lapwing...c35 with juveniles ~one very tiny.

Oystercatcher...2

Common Sandpiper.....3

Ringed Plover.....2

Little Ringed Plover.....4

no sign of Greenshank up to 6.30

Sightings from late morning today:

Greenshank

3 Common Sandpiper

Ringed Plover

8 Little Ringed Plover

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Dam and flower meadow, this am.

The singing Blackcap showed.

Swift....1

Swallow.....4

Common Tern....1

Great Crested Grebe....1

A Moorhen scurried over the channel.

A Cuckoo was present this morning, also 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover, 10 Little Ringed Plover and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

Info thanks to Phil Rhides

This evening. Hot, but some smoke in the air, off moorland fires, effecting visibility.

Ringed Plover....3

Common Sandpiper....2

Common Terns....4 including 2 young.

Pied Wagtail...c 12 juveniles.

Black-headed Gull juveniles... c 2 score.

Grey Heron seen going to a tree roost.

Reed Bunting...3

Great Crested Grebe....2

This pm, main Lodge.

Common Terns....2 one fishing, one sitting.

Lapwing....18 including 3 juveniles

Oystercatcher....5, one trying unsuccessfully, to open a small clam

Pied Wagtail juveniles....4+

Grey Heron...2, being one adult+ one juvenile

Great Crested Grebe....2

Reed Bunting....7

Reed Warbler....1

Sedge Warbler, family?.... heard only

Lesser Black-backed Gull... 2 adult

Black-headed Gull....c 20 juveniles

Tufted Duck....3

Swift.....5

This morning at the Dam/wood.

Buzzard....2 soaring together.

Common Tern....3, fishing the channel; two of these looked smaller than usual.

Grey Heron....1

Swift....1

Swallow....2

The evasive Blackcap, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Wren singing in the wood.

This morning: Dam, Wood and Lock Lane:

Blackcap constantly singing in wood, but not seen. No such problem for David Rogers, who sent me a recent photo of a juv. Blackcap in the Flower Meadow hedge (see below).

By Tempest Court 2 Juvenile Swallows on wire, were being fed by parent.

Swallow....c10

Swift....4

House Martin....2

Oystercatcher....1 sitting

Collared Dove....5 family

Lapwing... 3, including 2 juvs.

Lots of House Sparrows and Starlings.

Due to issues on site with regards to fishing around or near to the conservation area of the islands and adjacent shore on the east side of the reservoir (and accessed via the footpath from Beaumont Road), there has now been a seasonal access restriction on this length of banking adjacent to the islands between 1st April and 15th July (inclusive).

During this period there will be no access to birdwatchers (fishermen or anyone else for that matter) and a temporary sign will be put up on the bank, but in order to not only reduce disturbance to breeding birds but to also to maintain relations with the fishing club and support the work which has gone into bringing about this agreement, I would ask that any birdwatchers or photographers visiting the eastern side of the site respect this restriction and avoid the shore adjacent to the islands.

The restricted area can be found in the image below.

10.25am to 11.40am. Beaumont Rd side only, 26 species seen including:

• Whitethroat 1
• Grey Heron 1
• Oystercatchers 6+
• Lapwings 35+
• Common Terns 2
• Reed Buntings 5
• Reed Warbler 1
• Skylark 1

This evening up to 7.30. Dull light

Bird of the day was a  young Juvenile Buzzard, ground feeding in vegetation near the shore. Good lengthy views in the scope. No sign of parents.

Starlings... flock c70 with a high proportion of juveniles.

Grey Wagtail....1 adult

4 Mallard broods~ one with 11 large~ one with 10 medium~ 1 with at least 4 smallest possible.

Oystercatcher...6 including 1 juvenile.

Coot brood ~ 5 large

Common Terns......2

Black-headed Gull at least 6 large juveniles.

Reed Bunting...3

Reed Warbler....1 (having good year here)

Ringed Plover....1

Yesterday,

A Kestrel was hunting behind the Lock Lane Hedge.

Chaffinch young in the wood.

This evening's sightings:

Common Tern....1

Grey Wagtail....1 juvenile.

Pied Wagtail...1

Song Thrush...1 seen first, and then sang regularly.

Blackcap heard only in flower meadow corner hedge.

Long -tailed Tit...7, with juveniles amongst.

Mallard with 3 young in outflow channel.

Usual Lapwing family at Lock Lane and what looked like another pair with one sitting.

Linnet...1

Chaffinch...2 males

Mute Swan...1 adult

Reed Bunting...6+

Reed Warbler....3

Sedge Warbler....1

Swift....1

Wren...1

This morning's sightings:

Adult Grey Wagtail at the Dam.

In the wood prolonged viewing of a Treecreeper.

At Lock lane:

A Carrion Crow was walking through grass with a line of 3 large juveniles bobbing along behind it.

At the diminished flood:

Please to see all 4 Lapwing chicks with parents in attendance. This is a an unlikely 100% survival rate as they are well sized by now.

Linnet....1

House Martin....1 or 2

Scoping (heat haze) from the top of the footpath at the Lodge:

Common Tern....1

Lapwing...c10

Grey Heron...1 juv.

Mute Swan....1

Reed Bunting....2

Oystercatcher...4 including 1 juv.

Great Crested Grebe....4 including 1 juv.( the first humbug seen here since 2016)

Swallows...c20

This evening's sightings:

Mute Swans....4 adult. First seen in the Conservation Area and then in North Isle channel. Not too common here.

Tufted Duck.6 (3 Pairs)

Oystercatcher...6 plus 1 young juvenile

Lapwing at Lock Lane . 4 including 2 large juveniles

Greenfinch.

Linnet...2

The Cock Pheasant  was heard twice at the farm. Stan says it's trying to get in with the hens!

He now has 6 Swallows nests at Seddon Fold Farm.

At least a score of Swallows.

Visited this morning 10.45 to 12.00. Birds seen include:

• Whitethroat 1
• Reed Buntings 4+
• Long-tailed Tits
• Lapwings 12+
• Reed Warbler 1
• Oystercatchers 6+ ( 2 on nests on the islands)
• Lesser Black-backed Gulls 2
• Buzzard 1

Also met Phil Rhodes, Steve Almond and another chap with bins who's name escapes me during this visit and we had an interesting talk while birding.

At the Lodge late yesterday evening:

White Wagtail...1

Reed Bunting....2

Sedge Warbler....1

Oystercatcher....4  one sitting

Great Crested Grebe....5 one sitting

Coot family...with 4 chicks.

Canada Geese ..28 with 2+1 goslings

Grey Heron....1

Swallows....7

Mallards were the only ducks seen.

This am. Dam and Lock Lane.

Great Crested Grebe....1

Grey Wagtail....1

Treecreeper.1   seen in wood.

Lapwings...7 including the 4 chicks (family still intact)

Swallows....c8 only 3 nests found at the farm yet.

Moorhen...1 These have bred, at the farm, with at least 2 chicks says Stan.

Linnet...1m

Goldfinch....1

This am, Dam and Lock Lane only. Sunny.

At the dam were:

Common Sandpiper....1

Common Tern....1

Mistle Thrush...1

Very distant raptor south not ID'd

Singles of Moorhen(having a spat with a Carrion Crow?) and Great Crested Grebe.

Elsewhere the Lapwing family was intact (4 Chicks)

A juvenile Starling was being fed in a bush, by Parent.

The 2 House Martin still feeding over the flood.

Six plus Linnets, including 2 feeding on the cobbled lane.

Swallows at the farm/flood.....c10

Pied Wagtail...3 in total.

A Buzzard was soaring quite low by the Dam this am, and later over the field next to the wood.

Single Pied Wagtail at the Dam.

Mistle Thrush taking food in the wood as was a male Chaffinch.

The 4 Lapwing chicks still present.

Single male Linnet seen.

3 Mediterranean Gulls (2 second summer and 1 adult) and a Common Sandpiper at 11am this morning.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes 

This evening:

Common Tern....2

Common Whitethroat....1

Reed Bunting....5

Sedge Warbler....2

Lapwing chicks...4,

Coot chicks....2 at least.

Linnet....1

Pied Wagtail....5

Oystercatcher....7

Great Crested Grebe....c10

Swallows...c25

House Martin...2 over Lock Lane flood.

Single Swift seen as I was leaving

Visited today with David Aldred 3.20pm to 4.50pm via the footpath from Beaumont Road

24 species seen including:

• Lapwings 4+
• Reed Buntings 2
• Great Crested Grebes 6+
• Oystercatchers 6+
• Wheatear (Female) 1
• Lesser Whitethroat 1

Also went around to Lock Lane 5.00pm to 5.20pm. usual birds there.

Subsequent sightings today:

At least 4 tiny Lapwing chicks being stoutly defended by their parents from all-comers.

Female Wheatear....1

Also David Aldred and Paul Thompson saw a singing Lesser Whitethroat this afternoon. Atop a bush in the Reed bed near the end of the new footpath hedge.

Whitethroat seen moving in Haws and Bramble by the stile. In full voice, and once singing in flight over my head.

Quite remarkable to me, that these exact bushes attract Whitethroat every year; despite an errant car driver demolishing it's favourite one

This evening: Grey Wagtail...1,

Pied Wagtail....2,

Wheatear........3, all female.

Reed Bunting....1,

Goosander... pair still present and asleep on island,

Tufted Duck....2 pairs,

Common Sandpiper....1,

Usual Hirundines over water and up to 10 Swallows at Seddon Fold Farm and flooded field.

One of the Oystercatchers is ''sitting'' at last.

This afternoon up to 2.20. Sunny with cool wind.

Willow Tit...1

Linnet....2

Reed Bunting....1

Wheatear....1 female ( same place as last Friday)

Common Sandpiper....1

Grey Heron....1 ( behind the Shell station)

Hirundines....c40 with 3 House Martin Picked out.

Goosander....a pair.

Tufted Duck.... a pair.

Usual resident Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Coots, and Great Crested Grebes.

Moorhen....2

Lesser Black-backed Gull....2 adult at Lock Lane flood.

Also present today Common Tern and 2 Common Sandpiper at 2:30pm.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Visited 2.30pm to 4.00pm (Beaumont Rd side)  birds seen include: Sand Martin 6+, Swallows 40+, House Martins 20+, Tufted Ducks 5, Oystercatchers 6+, Lapwings 4, Grey Herons 2, and Great Crested Grebe 6+. Also heard only: Grasshopper Warbler 1, Reed Warbler 1 and Reed Bunting 1. 

Afterwards went around to Lock Lane for 10 minutes birds seen there : Little Ringed Plover 1, Lapwing 4 and Oystercatchers 2.

12.30 to 2.30 today. Raining.

Hirundines still present as in Steve's post, but on far side of Lodge. A few Swifts over islands. House Martin also seen with the resident Swallows at Seddon Fold farm.

Mobile Common Sandpiper still present on East shoreline and north island.

Also seen:

Little Ringed Plover....2

Wheatear....1f

Linnets....4

Reed Bunting....7 including 2 female.