30th June 2014
– Sunny intervals, some cloud, light easterly wind.
Waders today comprised a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, two adult Ringed Plovers and aGreen Sandpiper. A Hobby was seen on a number of occasions and the Lesser Whitethroatwas again in song on the Old Road. The first Gatekeeper of the year was on the wing and there were also at least two Marbled Whites on the main path from Oak
29th June 2014
– Sunny, light northerly wind, cool evening.
The first returning Common Sandpiper put in a brief appearance this evening and at least 13Marbled Whites were counted on the banks of which 11 were between Oak and Railway Hides and two around the car park. Aside from plenty of Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Skippers, there were also ten Small Tortoiseshells, two Emperors, two Brown Hawkers, a Banded Demoiselle and two Broad-bodied Chasers.
The increase in the larger Odonata saw that two Hobbies were seen during the day with both seen briefly together at one stage, one hunting over the pools and another more distantly over towards Hampton where there were also ten House Martins and 25 Swifts.
The first Tufted brood of two were seen, on Railway Pool, and there was a new brood of fiveGadwall on Car Park Pool. The Lesser Whitethroat sang briefly by the car park and there was a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker on the Oak Hide feeders.
The Black Swan has also returned after its wanderings elsewhere.
28th June 2014
– Overcast, occasional showers, light easterly wind.
Two Green Sandpipers put in a brief appearance and both Tawny Owl chicks were also viewable. On or over the pools there were at least six juvenile Common Terns on the wing, eight Oystercatchers including the new juvenile, a Ringed Plover, a juvenile Pied Wagtailand at least 150 Black-headed Gulls.
27th June 2014
– Thundery showers.
No records.
26th June 2014
– Sunny a.m., becoming cloudy and overcast p.m., and overnight rain.
Not a great deal of change today. There were two drake Teal, two pairs of Shoveler on the pools, ten House Martins around or over the pools, two Kestrel on the Old Road and aCollared Dove flew over Railway Pool.
25th June 2014
– Mostly sunny, light north-easterly wind.
Today’s counts included the following: five drake Teal, a drake Pochard, four Gadwallbroods, well over 100 juvenile Black-headed Gulls, at least ten juvenile Common Terns, a new Oystercatcher chick on Car Park Pool, singles of Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover, 57 Lapwings and at least four chicks.
A Sparrowhawk, at least one Kestrel chick, both Tawny Owl chicks (on the branch below the box) and two Kingfishers on the Reedbed were the other birds of note, whilst insects and dragonflies included the first Brown Hawkers of the year by the south-west pond and at least six Marbled Whites around Railway Hide with a seventh by the car park.
24th June 2014
– Sunny intervals, light north-westerly wind.
At least seven Marbled White butterflies were counted today with one around the car park, three by Railway Hide and a further three between Oak Hide and Railway Hide. There are also two Commas, a Small Copper, a Six-spot Burnet, a Cinnebar Moth and at least one Large Skipper.
A Kingfisher showed well on the Reedbed pool in the morning and, in the evening, both juvenile Kestrels were back on the pole box. A Sedge Warbler was carrying food into the right hand side of the Reedbed from the causeway screen.
23rd June 2014
– Mostly sunny, light north-westerly wind.
Not a great deal of change again today. The adult Ringed Plover remains and, on the pools, there were at least three drake Teal, a Pochard, and the Gadwall family of 18. At least one juvenile Green Woodpecker was with both adults near Railway Hide and the Garden Warbler was again in song nearby.
An adult Black-headed Gull was seen to attack a juvenile Common Tern on Railway Pool but the Tern appears to have survived.
At least one Marbled White butterfly showed well around the car park in the middle of the morning.
22nd June 2014
– Sunny and warm
The first Marbled Whites of the year were on the wing and were the highlights of another gorgeous day. At least five showed on the bank between Railway Hide and the gate in the fence opposite the back gate. Being mobile they proved difficult to tie down and intermingled with the now plentiful Ringlets and Meadow Browns. There was also a Comma there.
There were two well grown Whitethroat juveniles and a juvenile Blackcap at the west end of the causeway and Garden Warblers were in good song by the car park and by Railway Hide.
21st June 2014
– Sunny and warm, light winds.
An increase in Teal numbers saw today’s total reach seven, though only one could be found later. Also of note, later in the day, was a female Goosander and five young, visible from Car Park Hide. A pair bred again at Ladywalk this year and it is conceivable that the birds were from there.
Other counts were as follows: two Herons, two Great Crested Grebes, four Little Grebesincluding one nesting in water weed in front of Railway Hide, six Mutes and six cygnets, eightGreylags and 20 goslings, two male and two female Shoveler, 15 Mallard, 47 Gadwall and broods of five and 18, 52 Tufted, two drake Pochard, eight Moorhen and four broods, 23Coot and six broods, 125 Black-headed Gulls and 52 chicks, six Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 22 Common Terns and eight chicks, ten Oystercatchers, 30 Lapwings and four broods (with most young now near fledging), five Redshank, nine Stock Dove on the crop field and four Cormorants.
The right hand side of the crop field as viewed from the car park had not germinated well, having a relatively early seeding and has been re-cultivated and re-seeded. The Old Road game crop and the one by Siden Hill Wood have also been seeded.
20th June 2014
– Sunny and warm, light winds.
The first returning Green Sandpiper today over Car Park Pool at 8.30 was a sure sign that return migration is underway. Yesterday’s drake Pochard was again on Car Park Pool and there were five Shoveler spread between the two pools.
Many of the warblers are back in song again at the time of the second broods, with a Lesser Whitethroat signing by the car park gates, a Garden Warbler by Railway Hide and twoChiffchaffs, one by the south-west copse and one by the car park. A male and a femaleKestrel were getting very agitated around the car park and the crop field for reasons that were unclear.
19th June 2014
– Grey and cool am, sunny pm, wind from the north-east.
A hint of movement today with a Grey Wagtail along the Old Road and a drake Pochard on Car Park Pool. The Tawny Owl chicks remain visible in the stream line box and there was still at least one Kestrel around the pole box in the crop field. A Hobby was seen over Bradnocks Marsh at mid day and later over Railway Pool at 2.30. The first Broad-bodied Chaser was somewhat belatedly on the wing on the Dragonfly Pool.
18th June 2014
– Mostly sunny, north easterly wind.
A migrant juvenile Ringed Plover joined the adult on Railway Pool this morning and bothTawny Owl chicks were visible in the box. The female Gadwall with 18 ducklings still has all her brood and the first Common Tern juvenile was on the wing on Railway Pool.
Evening counts included two drake and a female Shoveler, three drake Teal, one Little Ringed Plover, nine Redshank, four adult Oystercatchers and a juvenile, an additional brood of five Gadwall, three broods of Moorhen totalling eight young, at least five visibleCommon Terns and at least 40 Black-headed Gull youngsters of which two have now fledged. There was also a juvenile Willow Warbler by Railway Hide.
Plenty of butterflies included increasing numbers of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, at least six Large Skippers, four worn female Common Blues and a few Speckled Woods andSmall Tortoiseshells. The first Common Darter was noted by Dragonfly Pool along with at least two ovipositing Emperors.
17th June 2014
– Sunny intervals, light north-easterly wind.
At least one Kestrel has fledged from the pole box in the crop field and it, and what was presumed to be the female, flew in from elsewhere in the morning, with the female disappearing to hunt and the one juvenile lingering by the box.
A Shoveler pair were displaying on Car Park Pool and also on the pool were two male and a female Teal.
Young on Railway Pool included at least three broods of Lapwings (3, 2 and 1), a new brood of 18 Gadwall plus an older five, and what appeared to be a juvenile Green Woodpecker by the back gate with an adult.
The Ringed Plover was feeding around the margins of the islands on Railway Pool, but there are still no young Redshank about. Over the pools there was the usual coming and going ofSand Martins and at least 12 Swift, and the Garden Warbler was again in song by the car park.
A near adult Mediterranean Gull put in a brief appearance on car park pool at 10.30 and a little later, a Hobby was hunting over the scrapes in front of Siden Hill Wood and both Ringedand Little Ringed Plovers were visible from Oak Hide.
16th June 2014
– Sunny intervals, light north-westerly wind.
A Wigeon was a new arrival on Car Park Pool but, otherwise, records were similar to the previous day. The Ringed Plover was still present along with three drake Teal, two drakeShoveler and a female. At least five Buzzards were up in the reasonably good conditions, including the Pale Morph again and at least five each of Swift and House Martins were over the pool.
A fledgeling Whitethroat was seen along the Old Road and both the Tawny Owl chicks were visible in the box on the central streamline.
15th June 2014
– Overcast, light north-westerly wind.
It was reasonably warm today and certainly good enough for Butterflies and Odonata.
Ringlet numbers are certainly on the increase and the same for Meadow Browns and there were fresh Tortoiseshells around the car park. Common Blues again showed well by Railway Pool, day flying moths included Yellow Shell, Burnet Companion and Cinnabar. Around the Dragonfly Pond, Black-tailed Skimmers and Four-spotted Chasers also showed well with a good selection of the commoner Damselflies.
Despite being quiet on the birding front, the two Tawny Owl chicks were again visible in the box but there was no sign of the juvenile Kestrels, though the female was still there. There was a juvenile Pheasant present by the Oak Hide feeders and Yellowhammer, Goldcrestand Garden Warbler were all in song along the Old Road.
On the pools, there were two male Teal, a pair of Shoveler and the Ringed Plover and at least six Lapwing chicks on Railway Pool. There was also a juvenile Jay in the back gate copse.
14th June 2014
– Cloudy and drizzly a.m., occasional sunny intervals, p.m., north-westerly wind.
Today’s counts were as follows: six Cormorants, two Great Crested Grebes, fiveDabchicks, four Mute Swans and six cygnets, eight Greylags and 21 juveniles, 29 Canadas, 54 Gadwall and broods of nine on Car Park Pool and five on Railway Pool, 28 Mallard and nine well grown juveniles, three male and one female Shoveler, two male Teal, 34 Tufted, fiveMoorhens and just one juvenile on Railway Pool from an earlier brood and a second brood of two, also on Railway Pool, 23 Coot and four juveniles plus five other broods, nineOystercatchers and two well grown juveniles, 40 Lapwing and four broods (Car Park Pool 2; Railway Pool 2, 2, 1), seven Redshanks, 140 Black-heads and at least 42 chicks, two Lesser Black-backs, one Herring, 17 Common Tern and three broods (3, 2, 2) and one Tawny Owl juvenile in the box.
There was a Green Woodpecker on the Old Road and two Stock Doves showed well from Railway Hide.
13th June 2014
– Mostly overcast, west, north-westerly wind.
The presumed female Cuckoo was again nest prospecting around Railway Pool and the central stream line during the morning. What is presumably the resident male Ringed Plover was again on Railway Pool.
12th June 2014
– Sunny, warm, south-westerly wind.
It is interesting how birds can completely hide themselves away and elude you. Despite a number of census visits to Siden Hill Wood and a number of people on the bird count day specifically looking for it, Coal Tit had completely eluded everybody this year, that was until last night. Then, one was seen and heard in the usual location in the pines at the top of the track going down to Tower Hide.
I can only presume that as there is probably no more than one or possibly two pairs in the wood, there is little need for calling.
On or around the pools today, four Teal (three males and a female), three Shovelers (two males and a female), at least four Redshanks on Car Park Pool and six to eight on Railway Pool, eight adult Oystercatchers and two well grown juveniles, 22 Lapwings on Car Park Pool with two chicks and 35 Lapwings with six chicks on Railway Pool.
A very out of season Barnacle Goose was briefly on the water outside Car Park Hide and aLittle Grebe chick has hatched on Car Park Pool, visible from the causeway. The first Emperor Dragonfly of the year was on the wing around the Reedbed with a male Black-tailed Skimmer there and across the Reserve, at least ten Meadow Browns and two Small Tortoiseshells. A few Orange Tip Butterflies are still on the wing.
A record of a Small Blue Butterfly was noted in the log, which would be an amazingly rare occurrence and I am assuming the recorder meant Common Blue but if the person could clarify it, that would be helpful.
11th June 2014
– Sunny, warm, south-westerly wind.
One of the first-summer Mediterranean Gulls was on Car Park Pool briefly this morning, but the regular pair seem to have disappeared, at least for the time being. One of the Tawny Owlchicks was visible in the box, viewed from the edge of the orchid field. The Orchids are still providing a great display in the field, along with some Ragged Robin and Buttercups.
Plenty of warbler song still today, including a “new” singing Willow Warbler behind Oak Hide, singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff by the south-west pond, and a brief snatch of song from aGarden Warbler in the back gate copse towards the railway embankment.
A number of early Meadow Browns were on the wing today, along with a Red Admiral and aSkipper species seen briefly near Oak Hide.
There were two male Teal on Railway Pool, along with a female.
At about 12.30 a Hobby went over, high, thermaling and moving east. Sand Martins were being pushed progressively higher by the Hobby as it too gained height and the Sand Martinswere trying to keep it in sight and below them.
10th June 2014
– Sunny, warm, south-westerly wind.
No records.
9th June 2014
– Sunny, south-westerly wind.
Plenty of warbler activity still today, notably from Reed and Sedge Warblers and Blackcaps, a Hobby flew over and over 70 Starlings came in to roost in the Reedbed.
Eight attended the work party in the evening, clearing paths, vegetation around the Hides and mowing the track through Siden Hill Wood. In clearing out some alders and willows around the Car Park Pool, an Elephant Hawk Moth was found. A Barn Owl flew across the road at Patrick Bridge at 8.30.
8th June 2014
– Sunshine and showers, warm south-westerly wind.
In better conditions today, more records of interest with the highlight being a Red Kite, seen distantly over Hampton in Arden from Car Park Hide at approximately 10.45, before it drifted south. Two Hobbies briefly searched out dragonflies over the Marsh and on the nesting front, the Tawny Owls have two chicks in the chimney box on the central streamline and the pair ofKestrels have two chicks in the pole box at the south end of the crop field.
A juvenile Green Woodpecker was perched up in the ash tree, south of Oak Hide this morning and there were at least three Lapwing broods on Railway Pool and one to the right of Car Park Hide, although there was no sign of the nearly full grown Lapwing chick to the left of the hide.
A brood of two Mute Swans were on the river by Patrick Bridge where there was also a singing Yellowhammer with further singing Yellowhammers on the railway embankment on the west side and by the railway car park.
Butterflies and moths included the following: a Silver Y Moth and Red Admirals by River Hide, a number of Common Blues, at least one Small Copper, Speckled Wood and at least one Brown Argus by River Hide. Many of the butterflies were enjoying the bramble flowers, recently emerged, below Railway Hide.
Ten plus House Martins were feeding over Siden Hill Wood and 15 to 20 Sand Martins over the pools, with more considerably higher as they fed with a small number of Swifts.
One of the first-summer Mediterranean Gulls was also present, along with one female and four male Shoveler and a drake Teal. A Song Thrush showed particularly well in front of Railway Hide carrying food.
7th June 2014
– Thunder and lightening with heavy rain in the morning, clearing to a sunny, humid and warm afternoon.
Today’s counts on a very wet morning were as follows: four Great Crested Grebes, four adultLittle Grebes and a well grown juvenile from elsewhere, five Cormorants, one Heron, sevenMutes and the brood of six still on Railway Pool, 14 Greylags and two broods on Car Park Pool (six and eight), 25 Mallard and two broods on Car Park Pool (one of nine and one of at least two), 29 Gadwall and a brood of five on Railway Pool, 55 Tufted, eight Moorhen with the brood there now down to two, 25 Coot, nine Oystercatchers with the two single young of Car Park Pool and Railway Pool respectively, 14 Lapwing and at least three broods (two on Car Park Pool and two singles in separate broods on Railway Pool), three Redshank, 210 Black-headed Gulls and 56 chicks, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 20 Common Terns.
6th June 2014
– Sunny, south-easterly wind.
The Blythe floods from yesterday had substantially subsided this morning but, unfortunately, the water level in Railway Pool has continued to rise. The low-lying Terns and Lapwings have been flooded out. This is particularly depressing as the first Tern chicks were visible on Railway Pool this afternoon and the others cannot have been far away from hatching. Hopefully these birds will re-lay.
On a more positive note, at least one young Tawny Owl was visible in the box on the central stream and there was still plenty of warbler song this morning along the Old Road, includingGarden Warblers just south of the car park gates and another by the top gate. Two of the singing Whitethroats on the Old Road finished with a Lesser Whitethroat type rattle – just to confuse things.
At various stages throughout the day there were 32 Lesser Black-backs, 47 Crows and nineRooks on the flood plain. Other birds of note included a calling Yellowhammer and a singingWhitethroat by the railway car park (west side), another singing Yellowhammer just along the railway embankment towards the river bridge, a collection of Ducks – Gadwall, Mallardand Tufted – on the scrapes. A Buzzard showed particularly well, initially from Lower Siden Hide, and then later from the Tower Hide.
Other records today included one of the first-summer Mediterranean Gulls, a Red Admiralon the Old Road beyond the bale store and male and female Brown Argus, Small Copper and a number of Common Blues by Railway Hide.
5th June 2014
– Sunny and warm.
Unsurprisingly after yesterday’s deluge, the River Blythe was extensively flooded by Patrick Bridge with a selection of Lesser Black-backs, Black-headed Gulls, Ducks and breeding waders feeding around the margins.
A Hobby went over to the north at 12.20 and in the warm conditions there were six Buzzardsup over Siden. One of the first-summer Mediterranean Gulls was on the pools and at least 30Swifts and ten Martins fed over them. A female Brown Argus showed well on the bales, north along the Old Road towards Patrick Farm, along with the first Meadow Brown of the year.
4th June 2014
– Very wet, south-westerly wind.
The resident Ringed Plover has not been recorded for a number of days so one on Car Park Pool may well have been a migrant as there was a Dunlin on Railway Pool. All three first-summer Mediterranean Gulls were present on Railway Pool and there were a pair of Teal on Car Park Pool. Ten House Martins, two Swallows and at least 20 Sand Martins fed over the pools in the poor conditions.
The first Common Tern chick of the year was hatched on Railway Pool.
In the evening, a mixed flock of adult and juvenile Starlings, totalling at least 100 were around Railway Pool and broods today included the following: nine well grown Mallard on Car Park Pool, two broods of Gadwall (5 and 2) on Railway Pool, a single well grown juvenileOystercatchers on each of the pools and there were four broods of Lapwing with a one and a two on Car Park Pool and the same on Railway Pool. At least 24 Black-headed Gull chicks were counted on Car Park Pool and the brood of six Mutes are still on Railway Pool.
3rd June 2014
– Overcast, occasional light showers, variable winds.
With patience, the Tawny Owl is visible in the box on the central stream south of the crossing with a probable chick.
One of the first-summer Mediterranean Gulls were seen briefly today and there were a pair of Shoveler, a Ringed Plover, a distant Peregrine over Hampton, a Treecreeper with at least one young on the Old Road, by the top gate along with a pair of Bullfinches, and tenRooks on the flood plain.
2nd June 2014
– Bright with sunny periods in the morning, slowly clouding over in the afternoon, south-westerly wind.
All three first-summer Mediterranean Gulls were on site but at different times today with the pair on Car Park Pool present in the morning and the single on Railway Pool in the early afternoon. At least six Buzzards were up in the air together and a Sparrowhawk was also seen briefly. A pair of Shelduck and a pair of Shoveler were roosting on the far side of Car Park Pool.
At least three Common Blue Butterflies were seen, favouring the area around the car park.
Also a new flower for the Reserve on the corner of the track leading down to Car Park Hide:Goatsbeard, probably Meadow Goatsbeard. It is a member of the Aster family and theYellow Goatsbeard also has the name of “Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon”, because the flower often opens in the morning but closes from noon onwards.
1st June 2014
– Warm and sunny.
All three first-summer Mediterranean Gulls were again on site with the usual pair on Car Park Pool and a single on Railway Pool. A female Cuckoo was on the Reserve for much of the day wandering around on a nest search. It was seen both along the causeway, by the south-west pond, the copse and behind Railway Hide. It was often mobbed by the Terns.
The Tawny Owl was again visible in the box on the central stream.
A number of Common Blue Butterflies were on the wing today with at least three counted, but probably more than that and also two Brimstones. Extra Bumblebees to yesterday included Common Carder and Southern Cuckoo.
