30th June 2011
– Sunny start, light showers and some overnight rain.
The highlight was two Little Egrets which, together with a Green Sandpiper, provided a good end to the month and indicated there were birds on the move. There were at least 80Lapwings as well.
29th June 2011
– Mostly sunny, light south-westerly wind.
Contractors are making slow but steady progress to access the railway embankment and a walk along the west side of the river yielded three singing Whitethroats, at least two singingSedge Warblers and two pairs of Reed Warblers. Still plenty of song in the wood, though mostly from Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Song Thrushes. Treecreepers and Nuthatcheswere both very active behind the Tower Hide. There were also plenty of Small Tortoiseshellsin the nettle clumps along the river.
Further movement during the day included the first Black-tailed Godwit of the year, a fine adult in breeding plumage of the Icelandic race which conveniently fed in front of Oak Hide from 11.30 a.m. until at least 2.20 p.m. Pochard numbers are now up to six and threeShovelers were also a new addition. A drake Teal was roosting on the spit in front of Oak Hide. A few Swifts also appeared to be on the move in a south-westerly direction.
Lapwing numbers have increased to 109 and at least one Tree Sparrow was calling from the bushes by Oak Hide.
28th June 2011
– Overcast, cool and northerly wind.
The only new birds in were a pair of Teal which were commuting between the pools. The two male Pochard from the weekend were also present.
The young Dabchick from the weekend was still being fed in front of River Hide and a pair ofGreat Crested Grebes were making a nest out of water weed between the gravel bar and the main islands.
In the evening there was an impressive 14 Little Ringed Plovers, 23 Common Tern chicks and 38 Black-headed Gull chicks. Both Gadwall broods of ten and six were still present, as were the three Redshank chicks. A single Shelduck was on site and two juvenile Sedge Warblers showed well on the causeway.
27th June 2011
– Hot and humid sunny morning becoming, showery afternoon and overnight.
No records.
26th June 2011
– Increasingly hot. Light south-easterly wind.
Little change from the previous day, with the two new Redshank chicks still showing in front of Oak Hide and the part grown one still on Tern Island.
25th June 2011
– Initially overcast and showery after overnight rain slowly improving, temperatures increasing during the day. South-westerly wind moving around to the south-east.
The only new bird in first thing, which presumably arrived overnight, was a fledged juvenileLittle Ringed Plover, confirming that these birds are now beginning to return south. Of the estimated 12 Tern chicks, at least four are fledged or nearly fledged. The young Redshankand at least two young Lapwings were still present on Railway Pool this morning and House Sparrows were busy feeding young at the cottage by the entrance gate.
There was also a fledged Whitethroat behind Oak Hide.
A few more waders trickled through later in the day, including the second Common Sandpiper of the “autumn”, at least one, possibly two further adult Ringed Plovers, whilst eight adult Little Ringed Plovers suggested movement over and above the breeding pairs, now estimated at three.
The second Gadwall brood of the year was on Railway Pool with six ducklings. The ten from the much earlier brood are still together and are now well advanced. The counts of note during the day were as follows: two Great Crested Grebes, five Dabchicks and a single part fledged youngster on Railway Pool and a new bird sitting on Railway Pool as well, four Herons, fourCormorants, four adult and six Mute Swan cygnets, a Black Swan and two cygnets, 32Greylag including fledged young, four Canadas, a Shelduck, 47 Mallard, 14 Gadwall and 16 ducklings, 52 Tufted Ducks, two drakes and a female Pochard, 48 Coot, five Moorhens, four adults and three partly fledged juvenile Oystercatchers on Car Park Pool, 82 Lapwingincluding one fledged young, plus two part grown young, eight adult Little Ringed Ploversand one fledged juvenile, three adult Ringed Plovers, six adult Redshank and three juveniles, plus a single fledged bird from elsewhere, 99 Black-headed Gulls and 32 chicks, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 15 adult Terns and 20 chicks, a Common Sandpiper, two juvenile Stock Doves on Car Park Pool and 29 adults, two singing Garden Warblers, Linnet, ten Swifts, 40 Sand Martins, a female Sparrowhawk and Green Woodpecker.
20th June 2011 to 24th June 2011
– Mostly sunshine and showers with predominantly south-westerly winds.
Relatively few records during the week. The highlights included a pair of Ravens over Siden Hill Wood on the 20th, a newly fledged Redshank presumably from off the Reserve (as opposed to being overlooked) plus nine Little Ringed Plovers on the 21st (this number suggesting some return movement), and two additional Pochards (a male and female) joined the long-staying drake on the 23rd. There was also a Snipe on the 23rd.
19th June 2011
– Sunny morning, becoming more overcast. South-westerly wind.
Bird wise, pretty well identical to the day before save for a “late” Cuckoo by River Hide. Despite the overcast conditions, Meadow Browns and Ringlets were conspicuous in most of the grassland areas.
18th June 2011
– Sun and sharp showers.
The weekend counts do not reveal anything out of the ordinary. The counts were: one Great Crested Grebe, seven Little Grebes plus a chick on Railway Pool, three Cormorants, threeHerons, four Mute Swans and six cygnets, a Black Swan and two cygnets, four Canada Geese, two Greylags but only four goslings (presumably the others have moved elsewhere, one Shelduck, 28 Gadwall and still ten ducklings, 56 Mallard and five well grown ducklings on Railway Pool, 41 Tufted Ducks, a drake Pochard, 46 Coot, eight Moorhens, sixOystercatchers and five young, four Little Ringed Plovers, one Ringed Plover, 32Lapwing and at least one chick, eight Redshanks and one chick, 84 Black-headed Gulls and 30 chicks, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 12 Terns and 14 chicks, three House Sparrowsat the main gate, three juvenile Reed Warblers in the Reedbed, a juvenile Jay in Siden Hill Wood, a Buzzard and at least two Meadow Browns and a Small Tortoiseshell.
In the evening, the passerines were noticeably quiet, a Green Sandpiper flew over calling – the first returning one of the year so far.
17th June 2011
– Mostly overcast with showers later, southerly wind.
The single Redshank chick was still visible in the undergrowth on the far side of Tern Island and a partly fledged Lapwing chick was feeding on the shoreline in front of Oak Hide.
The post-breeding flock of Lapwings is beginning to accumulate. There were 48 birds today on Car Park Pool alone, with breeders still in place on Railway Pool taking the total to over 60.
16th June 2011
– Sunshine and showers, cooler south-westerly wind.
No records in the log.
15th June 2011
– Sunny periods, warm with occasional showers. Southerly wind.
No records in the log.
14th June 2011
– Warm and sunny.
The Old Road was lively just after 7 am., with plenty of song and young birds. Groups of Blueand Great Tits were located in a number of places but the highlight was at least one recently fledged Lesser Whitethroat just north of the car park gates, along with three recently fledgedBlackcap young. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and a single Garden Warbler were also in song and a Green Woodpecker was vocal just north of the car park as well.
Both Reed and Sedge Warblers are flying up regularly from the borders of the pools to feed in the central streamline and are also singing from there. The three recently hatchedOystercatcher chicks were all still in-tact on Car Park Pool.
In the evening, an early returning Common Sandpiper fed and called from the islands on Railway Pool.
Six attended the Work Party and strimmed the path to River Hide, also cleared the taller vegetation on the Car Park Pool side of that hide; topped the bushes to the rear of Railway Hide and the reedmace in front of Oak Hide; and sprayed some more Creeping Thistle. Thanks to all that attended.
13th June 2011
– Overcast start, clearing quickly to become warm with sunny periods.
No bird news but plenty of insects out in the warm weather. Around the Dragonfly Pond there was a male Emperor, a male Broad-bodied Chaser and at least four Four-spotted Chasers. Around the Reserve generally there were ten Meadow Browns, a Small Copper, two Large Skippers, a female Common Blue, a Small Tortoiseshell and of the grasshoppers, Common Green, Field and Lesser Marsh were all recorded.
12th June 2011
– Persistent rain, south-westerly wind.
Probably too late in the season and the rain was probably too persistent to expect much new on the migrant front. Thus, a pair of Tree Sparrows at the Oak Hide feeder was probably the most noteworthy record but, as usual, there was plenty of interest.
20 to 25 Sand Martins and a single Swallow fed in the lee of the alders along the central streamline as the persistent south-west wind made insect hunting difficult. Two Swifts worked their way south-east low over Railway Pool at about 4 p.m. but, otherwise, this species was conspicuous by its absence until 5.15 p.m., when a tight flock of exactly 35 birds flew south-east over the embankment and Oak Hide and disappeared to view over the railway.
Most of the young birds were difficult to see in the wet conditions and various parents had a tough time trying to brood young that were altogether too large for them. The youngOystercatchers, for example, were being brought worms by the male, from over the railway line, and the female was trying to brood them and keep them dry until the male appeared – a difficult job bearing in mind they are nearly fully grown. There was still one Redshank chick on Tern Island but the young Lapwings were all difficult to see as the adults seemed to be brooding them most of the time.
The male Ringed Plover was in display flight on a number of occasions and both Black-headed Gull and Common Tern adults were brooding or bringing in food. The femaleGadwall with ten young was enjoying the wet foreshore on the island in front of Railway Hide and generally the wildfowl seemed to be enjoying the wet conditions – just the weather for ducks appeared to be apposite!
A pair of Sedge Warblers were regularly flying into the vegetation on the foreshore in front of Railway Hide, before disappearing into the Guelder Rose behind the hide itself. Reed Warblerswere active on the causeway.
11th June 2011
– Warm sunny morning, light westerly wind becoming increasingly cloudy and cool as the afternoon went on.
In the warming conditions in the morning, butterflies were much on the wing with a Ringlet by Railway Hide, at least ten Meadow Browns in the orchid field and five Large Skippers by the concrete road, the best of the emerging butterflies at this time of the year. An adult Emperor Dragonfly was also by the Dragonfly Pond.
Counts today included four Herons, three Cormorants, two Great Crested Grebes, sixDabchicks, four adult Mute Swans and six cygnets, a Black Swan and two cygnets, seven adult Greylags and ten goslings, eight Canadas, 38 Gadwall and ten ducklings, 27 Mallardand ten ducklings (plus three that are now fully grown), the long staying drake Pochard, 41Tufted Ducks, eight Moorhen, 41 Coot, one Lesser Black-backed Gull, 67 Black-headed Gulls and 23 young, 21 Common Terns and 11 young, four adult Oystercatchers and five young (two nearly fledged on the Railway Pool and three recently hatched on Car Park Pool), 59 Lapwings and five small young on Railway Pool, six Little Ringed Plovers and twoRinged Plovers, a pair of Redshank with one young on Tern island, and two young Tawny Owls.
10th June 2011
– Sunny intervals, occasional showers, south-westerly wind.
Little to report this morning, although all three Garden Warblers along the Old Road appeared to be in song at one time or the other, along with one by the south-west pond and one on the railway embankment. There do appear to be five males at least.
9th June 2011
– Sunny intervals, north-westerly wind.
A Tawny Owl was apparently really quite obvious this morning perched in the Oak to the rear of Oak Hide. In the evening, mobbing birds suggested it had relocated to the central streamline.
The only bird out of the ordinary was a Grey Wagtail which was feeding around the causeway area and then flew off low to the south at about 9 p.m.
There are now two new broods of Lapwings on the island in front of Railway Hide, and it is possible that the Oystercatchers have hatched on Car Park Pool judging by the way the female appeared to be brooding.
8th June 2011
– Sunshine and light showers, south-westerly wind.
There are now at least 20 Black-headed Gull chicks, 19 of them on Railway Pool and one on Car Park Pool and also five Common Tern chicks. Of the Lapwings, one from in front of Oak Hide has now fledged and another one from a different brood, in a similar location, cannot be far away from fledging now. Two new chicks have just hatched in front of Railway Hide and there were two new Redshank chicks on Tern Island. A Tawny Owl was again along the Central Streamline
7th June 2011
– Sunny, cool south-westerly wind.
Most of the news today was of breeding birds with plenty of Blue Tits and Great Tits on the Old Road, concrete road and central streamline. Broods of Whitethroat consisted of at least four just to the south of the top gate and one or two north of the top gate. At least one youngReed Bunting was calling from the causeway.
The Lesser Whitethroat on the Old Road was calling in the hedgeline opposite the car park, aWillow Warbler was seen and heard between the car park and the cottages and a Garden Warbler sang regularly around the top gate, occasionally moving along the concrete road or up towards the horse paddock.
An aggressive male Shelduck seemed to be intent on driving most birds off the islands on Car Park Pool, and the drake Pochard was again on Car Park Pool, with a drake Teal on Railway Pool.
In the evening, at least one, probably two Tawny Owls, were being mobbed along the central streamline.
6th June 2011
– Overcast morning, sunny afternoon, south-westerly wind.
Unfortunately there was no sign of the Wood Sandpiper today, with the best bird being aHobby on the central streamline. Two new Redshank chicks were present on Tern Island and there appeared to be another chick in the vegetation in front of Oak Hide. It would appear that there are five pairs of Redshank on site in total. The Gadwall brood of ten were still present.
5th June 2011
– Mostly overcast, blustery north-easterly wind.
The good run continued with a fine Wood Sandpiper which fed around the margins of the Car Park Pool islands during the afternoon. There was still at least five Ringed Plovers with one in display flight and at least five Little Ringed Plovers as well. The Gadwall brood of ten remained on Railway Pool islands and the first Common Tern chick to hatch out being protected under the wing of an adult on Tern Island.
4th June 2011
– Sunny intervals, occasional light shower, strong north-easterly wind.
A good weekend for birds started with a Spoonbill which flew over the observer’s head at 6.25 a.m., and headed north-east, appearing to have come off Railway Pool. This was the fourth record for the Reserve. During the regular wildfowl count, Barnacle Goose was a most unexpected surprise. At this late stage in the year, it suggests a feral bird but there are not any ones within the Tame Valley flock, although there have been some at Brandon, apparently.
At 1.45 p.m., a rather ragged Red Kite went over high to the south-east, mobbed by Gulls. There has been quite remarkable numbers of this species in Cornwall and in South Wales with flocks of over 60 reported. The origin of these birds is unknown at the moment, as far as I am aware.
The first summer Mediterranean Gull was also present in its usual spot on Railway Pool at
2 p.m., and other birds of note during the day included at least 40 Starlings of which over 60% were young: 17 Stock Doves in the crop field, two juvenile House Sparrows by the car park feeder, the first Gadwall brood (ten ducklings) on Railway Pool, the first Meadow Browns and Large Skippers of the year around the car park and concrete road.
Other counts were as follows: two Great Crested Grebes, five Dabchicks, a Heron, sixCormorants, four Mute Swans and six cygnets, a Black Swan and two hybrid cygnets, 11Greylags and ten Goslings (a six and a four), 15 Canadas, one Barnacle Goose, 58Mallard, 27 Gadwall and ten ducklings, 47 Tufted Ducks, a drake Pochard, 40 Coot, fiveMoorhens and two broods of five chicks (two on Railway Pool and three at the causeway), 64Black-headed Gulls plus at least 12 young, two Lesser Black-backs, 22 Common Terns, 32 Lapwings (plus at least two young around Oak Hide and two young in the crop field), sixLittle Ringed Plovers, five Ringed Plovers still, five Oystercatchers and two chicks, fiveRedshank and at least one chick below Railway Hide but no sign of the one on Car Park Pool, aCuckoo calling from Siden Hill Wood, a Yellowhammer on the tip field and at least sixBuzzards.
Odonata around the Dragonfly Pond included two female and three male Broad-bodied Chasers, two Four-spotted Chasers, a teneral Common Darter, two teneral Emerald Damselflies and Azure Blue-tailed Common Blue and Red-eyed Damselflies.
Finally in a shower at about 2.30 p.m., 40 House Martins congregated over the car park, by far the largest flock of the year so far.
A first Summer Mediterranean Gull was also seen.
3rd June 2011
– Mostly sunny, north easterly
There were still at least three Ringed Plovers on Railway Pool this morning with a presumed adult male in regular display flight and aggressively driving off Little Ringed Plovers. There were at least two singing Garden Warblers on the Old Road and one halfway along the Concrete Road. The bird by the south-west pond also remains.
There are also still two part grown Lapwings in the crop field but no sign of Lapwings down by the Dragonfly Pond this morning.
Later in the day Ringed Plovers had increased to five and there were five Little Ringed Plovers on site as well. The number of Ringed Plovers suggests that some passage is still ongoing. Although the long standing bird has attracted a mate (possibly from one on passage), the others would appear to still be moving north.
2nd June 2011
– Sunny intervals, north westerly
No records.
1st June 2011
– Sunny intervals, brisk south westerly
The Mediterranean Gull was back at its roost again this morning between at least 9am and 9.30am.
