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?

Stonechat, 2 Willow tit and numerous singing Skylark and Reed bunting this morning.

2pm to 4:30pm - railway end, of note :-

Grey Heron;  M & F Chaffinch;  M & F Bullfinch;  Goldfinch;  Pheasant;  M & F Jay;

M & F Kestrel;  Grey Wagtail;  Female Reed Bunting;  M & F Stonechat;  M & F Gadwall.

On the bottom pool near the railway approx 250 mixed Gulls but rather surprisingly a

Black-Headed Gull with full breeding black head! which in mid winter is something of a rarety.   

A wander around the east end of the site was interesting with 4 skeins of Pink-footed Geese totalling approx 780 birds, all heading west./south west. The birds appeared to be coming in from a n.e.direction,always impressive to see that number of wild geese. The birds went over at 10.30,10.45,10.47 and 10.50.
Around the site there were at least 30 Skylarks, similar numbers of Meadow Pipits 12 Goldfinch and 22 Linnets. 4 Common Snipe were accidentally flushed walking across the site,a single Stonechat and a hunting Kestrel were the other birds of interest.
On the large bottom pool about 50 large gulls mainly Herrings,a few each of Tufted Duck, Mallard, Gadwall and Coot as well as a number of Canada Geese.

Male Wheatear mid-afternoon today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes