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.

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) 

Kristian Wade wrote:

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Hi Lez,

I haven't seen or heard any Garden Warblers at the site this year after many visits, but there is plenty of suitable habitat! Where abouts was your possible sighting?

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 Hi Kristian,

The area was about 100 yds north of Swan Lake along a narrow path that runs along the edge of the nearly dried up creek where the two Jays are regularly seen. Red circled area on attached map.

3 hours this afternoon sightings included :-

Goldfinch; Chaffinch; Bullfinch; Linnet;

Chiffchaff; Blackcap; Common Whitethroat;

Reed Bunting; Skylark; Meadow Pipit;

Grey Wagtail; Pied Wagtail; Jay;

Buzzard; Kestrel; Pheasant; Juvenile Wren.

And what I think was a Garden Warbler with juveniles - not 100% but eye ring, beak & general colouring seem closest match

& the absence of a stand out distinctive whitethroat makes me feel its not a Whitethroat.

-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Friday 2nd of July 2021 12:07:08 AM

This morning's highlights were

11+ Wheatear 

White Wagtail

Singing Lesser Whitethroat 

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler  

Yesterdays walk round Cutacre CP Had very large numbers of Skylark putting on a good display not seen this many any where in years 

also Wheatear number have started to rise at least 6+ hard to count as they seem to be everywhere and very mobile 

Covered most of the site this morning apart from far east:

Singing Totals:
Chiffchaff - 8s
Blackcap - 2s
Willow Warbler - 6s
Skylark - 11s (likely more)
Meadow Pipit - 15+ (several singing)
Willow Tit - 1s (part of pair)
Blue Tit - 2s
Great Tit - 3s
Chaffinch - 6s
Greenfinch - 3s
Goldfinch - 4s (plus a few extra pairs)
Linnet - 2s
Dunnock - 17s (more than expected)
Robin - 18s
Wren - 28s
Song Thrush - 5s
Blackbird - 4s
Reed Bunting - 3s (more pairs)
Woodpigeon - 3s (more pairs)
Starling - 1s
Goldcrest - 1s

Other Sightings:
Ringed & Little Ringed Plover
5 pairs Lapwing
3 little Grebe
1 Common Sandpiper
4 Pheasant
Pair of Snipe...present in same location for nearly 2 weeks (possibly a breeding pair?)
Usual species...50 in total

Single Male Wheatear round top pools and Raven over south in a brief look round this morning.

Single Ringed Plover and 2 Oystercatcher this morning.  2 Siskin over north and 3 Buzzard displaying to the south.

Black-necked Grebe trio were still present at 1:30pm

Also had 2 Grey Partridge,

1 Tawny Owl,

1 Buzzard doing some impressive aerial manoeuvres to avoid the mobbing gulls

3 Great Black-backed Gulls

5 Kestrel

5 Skylark

27 Meadow Pipit

2:30 to 5pm of note:-

The lane down to the bottom pool was full of activity with my first Chiffchaff of the year; at least 25 Reed Buntings;

Long-Tailed Tits; M & F Chaffinch; M Bullfinch; 4 Redwing; Goldfinch; Song Thrush & many Wrens, Robins & Blue/Great Tits.

On the bottom pool was a single Little Grebe being harassed by Black Headed Gulls everytime it surfaced & a Lapwing displaying overhead. 2 Grey Partridge were flushed just beyond the pool with a few Skylark singing high overhead.

Elsewhere 5 Kestrel & 4 Buzzards with one hovering facing the wind not too dissimilar to how Kestrels do. 

2 Raven flew low east over the site this morning. At least 3 Little grebe, single Redpoll,  and c. 30 Skylark. Also a police motorcycle touring the paths but not sure what for as completely ignored large groups of people and the numerous off road motorcycles?