This morning birds of note 1 X Treecreeper 1 X Green Sandpiper (Swan lake) 1 X Kingfisher 1 X Stonechat 31 X Redwing 18 X Fieldfare No sign of Garganey

This mornings.birds included Kingfisher and Green Sandpiper on swan lake, single Brambling over south, Raven west and small numbers of lRedpoll, Siskin, Fieldfare, Redwing and starling also heading south but many heard only as very low cloud over the site today.

Garganey still present on Swan lake this afternoon also Green Sandpiper still present. Birds over included 2 Siskin and Crossbill heard going south but not seen.

A female Garganey was at Swan Lake this morning, also 1 Green Sandpiper and 2 Shoveler. Overhead 2 Crossbill and 2 Redpoll went west

-- Edited by dave broome on Monday 23rd of October 2023 10:29:31 AM

Singles of Green Sandpiper, Little Egret and Kingfisher at Swan Lake this morning

Nice to see a couple of Hobbies here late evening yesterday chasing the many many swifts feeding over the whole area. Also 7 juvenile Stonechats and 2 reeling Grasshopper Warblers.

8 Golden Plover flew north this morning and Redshank, Jack Snipe, 19 Snipe, Woodcock, 14 Lapwing and 2 Oystercatcher were nice to see on the WeBS count. Wildfowl included 27 Gadwall, 8 Tufted Duck, 9 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 42 Mallard, 2 Mute Swan and 15 Coot.

1-30pm to 3-30pm

Majority of sightings were down around the Swan Lake area with Engine Lane unusually quiet.

A break in the ice on Swan Lake held 1 Mute Swan associating with 2 white farmyard ducks & 20 Coot. About 200 mixed Gulls descended on the ice containing a very large Great Black-Backed Gull. 2 Snipe were flushed from the bulrushes near the inlet creek with a further 2 flyovers nearby. The bulrushes had 2 Stonechat, 1 Reed Bunting & 5 Goldfinch feeding on the fluffy seeds.

On one of the large grassed hills was a mobile flock of 30 Meadow Pipit's.

Also seen :- 2 Redwing;  Grey Heron;  F Pheasant;  3 Kestrel;  Jay; 2 Song Thrush & a very friendly Robin that tried to land on my shoulder down Engine Lane.

 

Quiet today, but included 17 Pink-Footed Geese over west, Wigeon still and 40+ Gadwall

3 Whinchat and 3 Wheatear on the eastern side today - my highest total of either this year! Dont check the eastern side much so difficult to say if this is a one-off occurrence

From the last couple of days:
-Confirmed breeding of Shoveler for second year in succession
-Confirmed breeding of Stonechat - first that I can recall
-Multiple Little Grebe broods
-Large Grey Partridge covey, counted 21 minimum. I don't know if this would represent multiple family groups or not, but there were at least 3 pairs on site this spring.
-Raven on the pylons
-Large numbers of Gadwall down on Swan Lake, unsure if they bred onsite this year, but easily 20-30
-Several Sedge Warbler still about

A couple hours around the eastern end of the site had the usual big numbers of singing Skylark.
3 Ringed Plover,2 Little Ringed Plover and a single Common Sandpiper were on the large central muddy pool. A Snipe was flushed from the long grass, Oystercatcher over and several Lapwing holding territory.
A Lesser Whitethroat was rattling away behind Kenny's Skip Hire on the way in,several Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler singing,also a single singing Reed Warbler in one of the phragmites beds.
On the pools a couple of Shoveler, Mallard and plenty of Gadwall,plus the usual Herring ,Lesser Black Backs and Black Headed Gulls.
Elsewhere a male Stonechat,pair of Grey Partridge, 2 Grey Wagtails ,a few Linnet and Reed Buntings and a couple of Buzzards were the best of the rest.

Highlight this morning was a VERY late Fieldfare feeding on the ground. Couldn't really believe what I was seeing, although it was in the exact same spot Redwings and Fieldfares would feed earlier this year. Otherwise, pair of Shoveler, 10-20 Linnet, and the Stonechat pair still looking very settled were the highlights.

Decided to do a full Linnet survey this morning. Was surprised by the result - at least 9 pairs across the south half of the site. 8 singing Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 10 Willow Warbler. Swallows back at Oliver Fold, 2 pairs. 4 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Duck also on Swan Lake.

This afternnon: Lapwing numbers much higher than I saw last year. Perhaps 15 pairs in total. Skylark numbers similarly very high, probably >30 singing males. First swallow of the year over. Pair of Shoveler are back again (there were 5 a few days ago). Pair of Raven. Pair of Linnet. And a strange (to me) Pipit. It was feeding in one of the shallow ponds, moving around the vegetation and reeds. It did not associate with any of the Meadow Pipits, and when it flew off had two distinct short calls. Only one of them sounded like the typical call. Still looked like a Meadow Pipit though so perhaps just some unusual feeding habits?

Pair of Ringed Plovers today. Also 14 lapwing, 1 Snipe and a pair of Grey Wagtails

A single Avocet on the 2nd most easterly pool,feeding out in the shallow water ,also Raven over north carrying possible food,plenty of singing Skylarks and a Little Ringed Plover calling.

Male Wheatear today. Also many Skylark (20+), 3 pairs of Grey Partridge, 4 Snipe, pair of Stonechat, 3 Stock Dove, 1 Cormorant, 2 Teal, 15+ Chiffchaff

Quick hour & half mid afternoon down Engine Lane to Swan Lake & back.

No sign of the Kittiwake & most of the gulls in the gloom were heading off to roost.

A single Little Grebe was constantly diving on the lake & 5 very friendly farmyard ducks were also present.

A female Sparrowhawk & Buzzard were perched off the lane near the railway.

Also seen down Engine Lane - Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit & Song Thrush.

07/01/2022:

Possible Kittiwake on Swan Lake (southernmost)? Picture attached, and thoughts welcome.

 

Huge numbers of Stonechat this afternoon - never seen anything like it. Would say 6 at a minimum (2m,4f) but they were everywhere. Didn't even venture to the western side where there have been 2 pairs in recent winters, so could have been even more.
Also:
3 Common Snipe
1 Little Grebe
1 Treecreeper
1 Coal Tit
3 Willow Tit
1 Bullfinch
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Cormorant (on Swan Lake)
3 Skylark
10+ Meadow Pipit
39 species total

A couple of hours around the eastern of the site was worthwhile with the highlights being at least 2 Green Sandpiper and a pair of Stonechat. Still plenty of Skylark and Meadow Pipits around the site,also Kestrel, Reed Bunting, Bullfinch,Grey and 2 Pied Wagtails,and a few Goldfinch.
Swan Lake was busy with Mallard,Gadwall,Coot,Moorhen and about 150 Herring Gull and 50 Black Headed Gulls

Afternoon visit

The highlight being 3 Buzzards with 2 Carrion Crows & a Sparrowhawk all rather playfully swooping at each other.

Also of note :- 3 Jay, plenty of Willow Warblers, Goldfinch, Long-Tailed Tit, Common Whitethroat, 3 Kestrel, Grey Wagtail.

6 juvenile Little Grebes - 1 on the small swan lake & 5 on the larger bottom pool.

Also on the bottom pool 4 white & 1 black & white domestic ducks. (phone pic attached) 

Quite quiet at the moment at Cutacre - most of the grassland is in the process of being cut, so the site looks quite different.

This afternoon:

-4+ Grey Heron, mostly in the freshly cut grass
-3+ Common Snipe, accidentally flushed and likely more
-1 Lapwing
-4 Gadwall
-Covey of fully grown 12/13 Grey Partridge, the second covey found this year

also someone had released 5 large white domestic ducks/geese, didn't look capable of flight