Thanks for your reply Mike, it was the pale pink leg colour that made me opt for Scandinavian Herring Gull, or rather the birds twin being shown on line as 'argentatus'. However, I have just viewed a photo of a 3rdCY Yellow-legged on line, and that gull had pale pink legs too. The mantle was midway between adults of Common and Lesser-black Back Gulls. So now I think I'll log it as a 3rdCY Scandinavian Yellow-legged Gull. These enigmatic gulls though are what make birding so satisfying. As for those big Scandinavian 'argentatus' gulls, which are great to watch out for in autumn/winter, wouldn't Viking Gull be a more apt title?.

Afternoon Visit

Viewed from Pods Hide:-

450+ Teal (Mainly in a huge raft along the North End of the flash), 46 Wigeon, 12 Shovelers, 6 Gadwall, 2 Shelducks and 3 Mute Swans.

Amongst the gull gathering were 6 Common Gulls and an enigmatic large gull, which dwarfed the Lesser Black Backs.

After a online search I recorded the bird as a 3rdCY "argentatus" Scandinavian Herring Gull, see photo below.

Despite it's size the bird seemed quiet placid and tolerant amongst the other gulls.

All the birds that were resting around the beach on the Eastern side of the flash were flushed by something just after I arrived.

There was no sign of any avian predators, so I put it down to either a fox or a dog, whatever it was the birds stayed well clear

of that area throughout my stay. Oddly no diving ducks, waders or raptors were seen today.

A quick scan across Ashtons Flash produced no birds at all apart from a couple of Black-headed Gulls.

Afternoon visit

Ashtons Flash

47 Curlew flew in to roost around 2.00pm.

Neumanns Flash

Reeds still greatly limit the viewing from Pods hide.

Plus it looks like someone has pulled out the drainage plug.

After the dry summer, I have never seen the water level so low.

I managed to view all except the SE corner of the pool from the bund.

Birds seen:- 2 Little Grebes (Looked like an adult and a youngster), 14 Lapwings,

2 adult Common Gulls and quite surprisingly a Cormorant. Also a pair of Mute

Swans with the cob seen to chase off an adult Greylag Goose, it looked like he

was just trying to impress the pen.

Neumanns Flash 15.00-18.00 approx.

6 Gadwall, 1pr of Tufted Ducks, 2 adult + 2 juvenile Shelducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe,

2 adult + 2 almost full grown young Oystercatchers, 1 Buzzard, 2 Grey Herons and

4 Lapwings.

When the Buzzard flew over "Stilt" island all hell broke loose with the adult Oystercatchers

joining forces with some Black headed-Gulls and the Lapwings to chase the raptor away.

The Buzzard got the message and opted to fly off towards Witton Brook, sharpish.

Ashtons Flash

1 adult + 2 well grown young Avocets, the adult gave chase to any bird that appeared to be

a threat. On one occasion though the adult flew across to Neumanns, leaving the youngsters alone.

After a few minutes it flew back and seemed really anxious responding to any threat, on one occasion

giving chase to a startled Moorhen, before realising it was no threat. The young Avocets just carried

on feeding throughout, ignoring their ultra anxious parent.

Also seen on Ashtons was 1 overflying Buzzard. Quite a few Reed Buntings were seen commuting from

and to the centre of flash, clearly they had nests there.

Late posting for yesterday 28th March, 12.30-15.00

Neumanns Flash

6m+2f Shovelers (4 drakes tried to muscle in between an established pair, the result being that the female

displayed vigorously to her partner. He tried his best to get between his girl and the amorous drakes.

Then another established couple turned up and the Casanova drakes turned their attention to the new pair,

the same thing happened again, the female displaying close to her partner as he bowed to her and manoeuvred

to deflect the bachelor ducks. Fascinating stuff, duck soap opera).

Also 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Shelducks, 4 adult Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a pair of resplendent adult Herring Gulls.

A male Reed Bunting was seen eating the new buds on birch trees close to Pods hide.

Ashtons Flash

A pair each of Shovelers, Shelducks and Lapwings, a single drake Tufted Duck and a passing Buzzard.

By the Marsden entrance a Dunnock was seen feeding what appeared to be a newly fledged youngster.

Also at least 5 House Sparrows were seen near the Marsden entrance gate, a couple being highly vocal.

This site has been very good for Starling murmuration in past years so I went to have a look just before dusk Saturday 26th October. No big murmuration yet but certainly a couple of thousand went past and in the hour before dusk smaller groups of around 100-150 a time were a frequent sight going in the direction of the bigger gang. It looked like they were collecting/roosting in the reeds at the far end of Neumann's Flash from the main road/Marbury Road or at Marbury Park.

 

Aside from that.. Water Rail x2 skulking in the reeds, approx. 30 Curlew flew over,  16 Greylag Geese on the flash. Sparrowhawk patrolling overhead.

-- Edited by Ruth Mott on Sunday 27th of October 2024 08:49:28 AM

Neumanns Flash (Midday visit)

1 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Little Grebes, 7 Lapwings, 14 Tufted Ducks, 1 Kestrel,

2 adult Mute Swans with 2 almost full grown cygnets (They had 3 on my last visit)

and 200+ feral geese (Mostly Greylags). Also 2 Swallows, both were seen to have

a quick in flight drink of water from Neumanns, before continuing their race Southwards.

Ashtons Flash

25 Curlews

Sincere thanks to the person who has trimmed the reeds to allow the Eastern shoreline,

the island area along the Northern bank, plus view much of Stilt Islands shoreline from Pods

hide.

Immature female Marsh Harrier seen yesterday at Ashtons Flash around midday. Flew a few circuits before thermalling to a great height and moving off to the east. Fields adjacent to the relatively near canal, known locally as Gibbons Land held 2m and 1f Wheatear.

Hi to Chris and Lizzi, I think we were in Pods Hide together tonight, just put 2 and 2 together from various Whattsapps and realised who you were!

Starling Murmuration was very interesting tonight.

Possibly due to the high winds from the West birds were coming in in groups and then dropping to 2-3ft above water level and flying from Pods Hide to the North of the Flash at water level.

Never seen Starlings do that before it was almost like a flock of hirundines brought down to water by a storm front.

Murmurating clouds did form a few times and two Sparrowhawks at least came through (one again at water level).

Dot counting (my attempt at automatic intelligence post processing / dot counting on iPhone photos) suggests a cloud of 19,000 max and a few more groups of 300 - 500 came through as I was walking back to the car. 

11 Goosander, 28 Shoveler, 58 Wigeon being the other highlights, plus over by the new build houses near Ashtons Flash a Redwing with a white throat patch the size of a 50p had me going for a moment.

31st August 2023. Late morning / early afternoon. Nice to chat with Mark Jarrett earlier at Marbury Country Park and pointing out the Hobby hawking over Coward Reedbed.

Sightings at Neumann Flash included:

Great White Egret (1)
Grey Heron (1)
Blackcap - Male (1)
Buzzard (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Jay (2 heard!)
Goldfinch (50)
Lapwing (4)
Tufted Duck (40)
Long-Tailed Tits (5)
Mute Swans - two adults and six cygnets in one family
Mute Swans - two adults and one cygnet in another family

On way home I picked up my new Cellular Trail Camera from Focalpoint

Garganey on Neumanns this morning, Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper on Ashtons 

Midday visit

Neumanns Flash :

8 Avocets, 2 Buzzards (Soaring on thermals), 14 Gadwall, 3 Mute Swans, 4 Shelducks, 6 Lapwings, 5 Tufted Ducks

and 2 Oystercatchers. A brood of 4 "Robin" sized Moorhen youngsters were with their parents by Pods Hide, the adults

very aggressively chased off a Coot that ventured to close to their family. I witnessed a very elaborate flight display by a

small bird, which surprisingly turned out to be a male Reed Bunting.

Ashtons Flash :

4 Lapwings, 1 Oystercatcher and a singing male Reed Bunting.

Haydns Pool Warbler Survey. Fine, cloud cover, breezy, 11*c. 7-8.30am.

Reed Warbler (4)
Sedge Warbler (1)
Whitethroat (6)
Blackcap (3)
Garden Warbler (2)
Willow Warbler (1)
Chiffchaff (4)

Other birds of note :-

Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Raven (1)
Bullfinch (3)
Stock Dove (4)

Saturday - Whinchat on Ashton's - Sorry slow to post

female Marsh Harrier mid pm initially over Neumanns and then spent 10 minutes or so quartering over Ashtons  

Mid-morning visit

Neumanns Flash:

3f Goosanders, 1m Pintail, 8 adult Common Gulls, 9 Tufted Ducks, 4 Shelducks and 1 Grey Heron.

Ashtons Flash:

2 Oystercatchers (Earlier recorded on Neumanns), 5 Lapwings and 1 Buzzard.

10.00-11.15

Neumanns Flash:

111 Wigeon, 1m Reed Bunting, 1 Water Rail (Seen and heard squealing loudly), 2f Goosanders, 5 Shelducks,

10 Tufted Ducks, 8 Teal and 2 Great Crested Grebes.

Mid-Morning visit

Neumanns Flash :

1m+1f Goldeneyes (Male seen displaying to female), 4 Shelducks, 13 Tufted Ducks, 2m Shovelers,

8 Common Gulls and a couple of flocks of Lapwings (Around 130 birds in total) seen flying towards Marbury CP.

11.00-12.00

Neumanns Flash:

13 Shovelers, 8 Tufted Ducks, 3 Shelducks, 1m+1f Goosanders and 6 adult Common Gulls.



-- Edited by John Williams on Monday 30th of January 2023 05:44:23 PM

Lunchtime visit

Neumanns Flash: 14 Shoveler, 1m Wigeon, 2 Shelducks, 8 Tufted Ducks and a single Mute Swan.

Neumanns Flash (Lunchtime visit)

The flash was still frozen over, with just a few gulls resting on the ice, including a single adult Common Gull.

A Water Rail was seen to wander gingerly out onto the ice, but was easily spooked,

so it shot back into the reeds instead.

Neumanns Flash (Lunchtime)

160 Teal, 75 Wigeon, 8 Shovelers, 1 Grey Heron and 4 Common Gulls.

10.30-12.00

Neumanns Flash: 210 Teal, 4 Shovelers, 150+ Black headed Gulls, 1m+1f Goosanders, 3 Tufted Ducks,

1 Water Rail, 4 Common Gulls and 1 Shelduck.

Also singles of Canada Goose and Mute Swan, both of whom looked uneasy at being on their own. Having the sad

corpses of 4 Canada and 2 Greylag Geese, plus 2 deceased Black headed Gulls around margins of the pool obviously

added to their anxiety.

Neumanns Flash 15.00-16.30

4 Ruff, 5 Snipe, 46 Wigeon, 26 Shoveler, 490 Lapwings, 2 Water Rails, 1 Raven, 1 Cormorant,

77 Teal, 1 Little Grebe and 1 Grey Heron.

Possible signs that Bird Flu has not gone away with a dead Canada Goose in the NE corner, whilst

nearby another bird of the same species showing real signs of distress/illness. It appeared also that

other Canada Geese on the flash were staying well clear of their sick and deceased fellows.

Oddly, crows seemed to be showing little interest in the dead goose too.