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.

38 Goosander this evening. Also 1 Kestrel, 1 Snipe and 1 Wheatear. Very few gulls.

Highlights from a late morning circuit:

1 Kestrel.

62 Lapwing and 3 Common Sandpiper.

5 Swift through.

1 Common Gull.

1 Grey Wagtail.

Drake Common Scoter still present early morning

Highlights from a late circuit:

12 Goosander.

58 Lapwing and at least 3 Curlew.

Small gull roost with 30 Lesser Black-backed, 3 Herring and 15 Black Headed.

4 Swift and 4 Sand Martin.

1 Whitethroat.

Highlights from an evening circuit:

11 Goosander.

7 lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, 5 Curlew and 1 Common Sandpiper.

3 Kestrel.

10+ Swift, 1 Swallow and 4 Sand Martin.

Of interest during quick evening visit:

16 Goosander

10 Lapwing, 5 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Sandpiper.

c120 Lesser Black-backed and 5 Herring Gull passed through to the NW but did not stop.

1 Grasshopper Warbler.

Tues 27/4 08:00-11:00 dull showers west breeze
Res
Goosander 5m 15f
Common sandpiper male song/display flight to (female quiet)
Curlew 2 circled
Lapwing 1
Mallard mf
White wagtail m briefly on west dam shore
Little ringed plover m dropped in mid morning
Wheatear 2
Snipe m singing/chipping from fence post in juncos field
Grasshopper warbler reeeling
Linnet mf
L Redpoll 5 west
S Martin c 30

Cheers den valley back up to res
Wheatear 2 pairs
Willow warbler 5 singing males
Grasshopper warbler singing from juncos filled old mill pond

 

Quick visit early afternoon and highlights were :-

 

Yellow Wagtail  on the West end shoreline

2 Wheatears

4 Common Sandpiper

1 Dunlin

21 Goosander

min 3 Reed Bunting feeding on wall and shoreline

1 White Wagtail

A few Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtails

A couple of Linnet and Skylark

 

 

Saturday morning walk - flat calm reservoir, cold, grey, still

Oh and very little to get the birder excited...

Highlight was a pair (m / f) Stonechat close to the inlet on the N side plus
Single vocal Curlew in the field SE of the Dam
Many Lapwing in the pig field E of the Dam
a single Cormorant fishing
About 40 black headed gulls loafing around on various parts of the res
Plenty of Corvids...mainly Carrion Crow plus a couple of Rook
A single skylark heard