Sun 21/4 8:15-9:15

A Swift feeding up and down along the embankment wall
About 20 Swallows feeding low over res and along wall
8 sand martins doing the same
Wheatear MMF + FF + M
Pair of Goldeneyes and Goosanders
5 Linnets feeding on embankment

-- Edited by Mike c cooper on Sunday 21st of April 2024 10:47:55 AM

A quiet afternoon visit, with a single Wheatear the highlight. Also 3 Stonechat,  68 Lapwing and 5 Goosander. 

Very quiet this evening, with the best being 4 Goosander, 4 Swift and c45 Swallow.

Tues 25/4 10:30-12:00 Male Whinchat in field opposite gate to res on grassy tussocks in front of telephone pole occasionally being chased by fem Wheatear. Still there when i left Wheatear m&f in Whinchat field, 2 on fence posts inprotected area and 3 in wiyh cows with calves at west end Oystercatchet 1 flew thro to west Curlew 2 bubbling in distance Linmet alkng embankment Cormorant on res L Bb gull c 100 landed on res at 12:00 G Bb gull 1 imm with 7 imm Herring gull the flew off west

Wander along the South side of the res this evening

Swallow
Reed Bunting
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Goosander (m) flew over
Dozen or so larger gulls lazing on the res; Herring and Lesser Black Backed

Lovely Spring morning stroll along dam 10:10-11:10

Herring gull 7
L B b Gull 6
B hd Gull 6

Stock Dove 2 over north

Swallow 1 briefly over east fields

Sun 2/4 16:30-19:00 sunny clear cold ENE breeze Stonechat fem in east overflow field Oystercatcher 2 on rez and fields to east Lapwing 5 east and 2 west Redshank flew west wifh lapwings at 19:00 Pied wagtails 20 mostly males Grey wagtail 2 in overflow 

Late afternoon today:

2 Goldeneye and only 11 Goosander.

120+ Lapwing.

6 species of gull in the roost with 36 Great Black- backed, 3 Lesser Black-backed, 90 Herring, 75 Common, 1 Mediterranean and c1000 Black- headed. 

This afternoon:

2 Goldeneye, 2 Goosander and 2 Cormorant.

210 Lapwing and 1 Snipe.

1 Great Black-backed and 6 Common Gull.

Flock of c50 Starling with Fieldfare and Redwing mixed in.

This morning:

10 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander and 6 Teal.

14 Lapwing the only waders.

2 Kestrel , 1 Little Owl.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 Raven over.

1 Great Black-backed Gull.

5 Wheatear together and c30 Linnet.

This morning:

20 Teal, 9 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Great Crested Grebe.

55 Lapwing, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Snipe and now 2 Greenshank.

1 Common Gull.

40+ Swallow, 1 Sand Martin.

Good numbers of Meadow Pipit (60+), Pied Wagtail (20+) and Goldfinch (20+), 2 Linnet.

1 Wheatear. 

 

An interesting evening circuit as the reservoir now has extensive mud at the western end. 

34 Mallard, 16 Teal, 1 Goldeneye, 6 Tufted Duck and 9 Goosander.

1 Lapwing, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 9 Snipe and 1 Greenshank, a patch tick.

2 Great Black-backed Gull, my first returning birds.

c25 Swallow moved through.

 

An interesting evening circuit with 2 patch ticks!

Flock of 18 Shelduck, they spent a lot of time flying when disturbed by dog walkers, but appeared to go to roost at the west end.

1 Whimbrel appeared to have been disturbed on the central island and flew off SW calling strongly.

Also my first returning Goldeneye of the season, 1 Great Crested Grebe.

This evening:

5 Goosander and 3 Great Crested Grebe.

3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin and 2 Black-tailed Godwit.

20 Swift and 20 Swallow passed through.

1 Grasshopper Warbler still reeling at dusk.

Smaller gull numbers and I couldnt find anything apart from the 3 commoner species.

Highlights from an evening circuit:

2 Great Crested Grebe and 3 Goosander.

24 Lapwing, 1 juv Little Ringed Plover and 2 Common Sandpiper. Small areas of mud and the central island are appearing, so hopefully a few autumn waders.

4 Swift, 2 Swallow.

1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler.

7 Goosander this evening. Also 1 Curlew, 1 Oystercatcher and 4 Lapwing.

Swift numbers built up gradually as the evening wore on, with 120+ towards dusk. A few Swallow and Sand Martin among them.

A rather odd patch tick in the form of  a Song Thrush!

 

Saturday 30th April 2022

11 Goosanders (4 drakes)

12-13 3 male Wheaters (quite large upright)????? On embankment
Linnet pair feeding on seeds on embankment
Goosander 10 m 1 f
Goldeneye m & f

Just to update:

Red-necked grebe, being only the 2nd ever such bird I've seen and decent views, though a little distant - but much much closer than my lifer tick in Scarborough back in 2017. Seeing it was staying the same distance once it woke up, I departed at 5:20pm

Other birds of note:

Grasshopper warbler (heard x2)
Wheatear
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Linnet
Goldeneye x6
Goosander x3
Pied wagtail (quite a few scattered about)
Grey wagtail
Sand martin
Lesser black backed gull
Herring gull
Black headed gull

Ta!

-- Edited by Richard Thew on Saturday 16th of April 2022 10:54:43 PM

Red-necked Grebe currently asleep. Use decent footwear, as a couple of short sections of the path in one area is somewhat muddy, and I wish I'd brought my wellies as my feet and trouser bottoms had gotten wet.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 16th of April 2022 04:13:17 PM

Red necked Grebe still present 12:30, found by Rob Archer this morning
Also 5 Goldeneye 2 ab m, 1 1y m and 2 fems

Mon 21/3 10-13:00
Goldeneye ad & imm males plus 2 fems
Grey wagtail pair in overflow

Much more of a Gull roost now with 58 Great Black-backed, 3 Lesser Black-backed, 20+ Herring, 30+ Common and 1500 Black-headed Gull. Also 3 Goldeneye and 3 Goosander, although I didnt stay until dark. 

127 Goosander this evening, my highest site count and my highest total anywhere! Also 2 Teal, 2 Cormorant, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 2 Stonechat.