30th November 2014
– Mostly sunny, light north-westerly wind.
Three female Goosanders were new arrivals this morning. They appeared on Railway Pool at about 11.30 before flying north to the river at about 12.15. The two Whooper / Mute Hybrids were again present on Railway Pool.
Other birds of note included five Common Gulls, the ring banded Pochard, a Coal Tit by the car park, a flock of 20 Siskins between Oak and Railway Hide and Water Rails in both the Marsh and by Railway Hide.
13 Rooks were amongst the other corvids on the flood plain, two Skylarks went over along with two Herring Gulls, a female Kestrel was around the old horse paddock and a mixed flock of tits by the south-west pond included at least 15 Long-tailed.
29th November 2014
– Misty start, sunny p.m.
Despite the regular presence of a Peregrine throughout much of the day, a flock of 13 Golden Plover seen briefly along with 238 Lapwing.
An impressive three Jack Snipe and over 50 Common Snipe were flushed form the Marsh during management work, just goes to show how elusive the birds can be in there as this is by far the largest count for both species this winter. A flock of 25 Goldfinches were feeding in the Alders along the Old Road and there were at least 12 Rook on the flood plain.
Other counts today included three Heron, 24 Cormorant, five Mutes, 78 Greylags, twoFarmyard Geese, 35 Canada, 242 Wigeon, 239 Teal, 54 Gadwall, 55 Mallard, 37Shoveler, 24 Pochard (included the ring banded bird), 13 Tufted, ten Moorhen, 21 Coot, one Lesser Black-backed Gull, 35 Black-headed Gulls, two Common Gulls, a Water Railat the north end of Railway Pool, 37 Redwing, 14 Fieldfare, four
Yellowhammers
and fourRedpolls.
28th November 2014
– Overcast, east, south-easterly wind.
The best birds of today were a “nordic” Jackdaw by Car Park Hide at just after mid-day and the male Mandarin on Railway Pool but with a good supporting cast of at least 40 Linnets in the crop field, both Peregrine and Sparrowhawk and a minimum of 255 Teal.
27th November 2014
– Again, murky, south, south-easterly wind.
The female Goldeneye continues to enjoy Railway Pool and at dusk two Herring Gullsdropped in to bathe before moving on. There were about 20 Redwings along the Old Road and six Fieldfares on the railway embankment.
26th November 2014
– Grey, overcast and drizzly
The female Goldeneye continues to enjoy Railway Pool and the male Pochard with the nasal band (now discovered to have been ringed in near Nantes in France on the 4th November 2014), was also still on site.
The crop field / edge of the car park was busy with Finches and Buntings again; at least 12Yellowhammers were present along with over 20 Reed Buntings, five Linnets, sixChaffinches, a Bullfinch, five Fieldfare, six Redwing, six Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. A Green Woodpecker was feeding on the oak trees by Car Park Hide and singles of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail went over.
25th November 2014
– Frosty start, foggy and then drizzly for most of the day.
Not a great deal new to report. A Water Rail showed well in the Marsh, the Goldeneye and 25 Pochard were on the pools along with five Common Gulls, whilst a Goldcrest fed around the car park with a few Finches and Buntings.
24th November 2014
– Frosty, mostly sunny, light south-easterly wind.
A flock of 22 Linnets were present along the Old Road this afternoon, but otherwise remaining quiet.
23rd November 2014
– Overcast, occasional rain, light north-westerly wind.
The first Little Egret for some days was present on Railway Pool in the late morning and, later moved to the river. The female Goldeneye was still visible from River Hide and a Coal Tit was a relatively unusual visitor to the feeders. A Water Rail called from the Reedbed and a good count of Teal, 227, saw 165 on Railway Pool and the balance on Car Park Pool.
A Green Sandpiper was calling from the flashes on Lower Siden and a Grey Wagtail fed by the cattle feeders on the flood plain. A Water Rail called from the Reedbed.
22nd November 2014
– Overcast a.m., sunny p.m., light south-westerly wind.
A juvenile male Red Crested Pochard was definitely the bird of the day but sadly only lingered for a short period in the early morning before departing, possibly to Maxstoke where one was seen later in the weekend.
Other counts today consisted of four Herons, one Little Grebe, 29 Cormorants, 156Greylags, 17 Canadas, 256 Wigeon, 11 Gadwall, 209 Teal, 63 Mallard, 64 Shoveler, 13Pochard including the bird with the nasal saddle, nine Tufted, the female Goldeneye, 15Moorhen, 18 Coot, 399 Lapwing, ten Snipe, 77 Black-headed Gulls, one Common Gull, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 20 Meadow Pipits on the tip field, 25 Chaffinches in the Old Road game crop, 15 Fieldfare spread along the Old Road with six Redwing, a Water Railfrom the causeway, one flock of ten Long-tailed Tits, four Goldcrest and a Skylark over.
21st November 2014
– Overcast, occasional rain, light south-easterly wind.
The female Goldeneye was showing well from River Hide, on Railway Pool, this morning and in the bay to the left was an elusive but rather odd shaped female type Tufted which, if it shows better, would be worth a second look. The head shape appeared different from a Tufted with a more peaked crown and the bird looked slightly longer necked.
11 Redwings and three Fieldfares went over and two Redwings and a Fieldfare were feeding in the car park.
20th November 2014
– Sunny intervals, light south-easterly
Pochard numbers had increased to 38 today and in amongst them was a male with a blue nasal saddle. This is a ringing procedure to identify the birds and it appears from initial enquiries that the bird was ringed in France.
The female Goldeneye was again on Railway Pool and a Raven also went over.
19th November 2014
– Sunny intervals, light south-easterly wind
No records.
18th November 2014
– Sunny, light easterly wind
The edge of the crop field was busy with Finches and Buntings this morning with a flock of 30 to 40 Linnets feeding on the Fodder Raddish and about 20 Reed Buntings and 12Yellowhammers along with six Chaffinches in the corn.
A Jack Snipe and 16 Common Snipe were in the Marsh whilst one Grey Wagtail, threeSkylarks, 16 Redwing, seven Stock Dove (south-west) and 150 Wood Pigeons (north-east) went over.
On the pools, there were 32 Pochard on Car Park Pool and the elusive female Goldeneyeremained on Railway Pool, sometimes favouring the bay to the right of Oak Hide and disappearing from view.
17th November 2014
– Overcast, north-easterly, occasional showers
Today’s star bird was a Brent Goose which appears to have put in a brief appearance on Railway Pool at 11 a.m., but was not recorded before or after. The Goldeneye was also on Railway Pool initially, before moving to Car Park Pool to join 32 Pochard there. A Water Railcalled from the Reedbed, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard put in appearances over the Reserve along with five Fieldfare, a Meadow Pipit and a Collared Dove.
16th November 2014
– Misty, very light north-westerly wind.
The drake Mandarin put in one of its erratic appearances, showing on Car Park Pool in the afternoon with the female Goldeneye. About 15 Snipe and the Jack Snipe were present in the Marsh in the morning and across the Reserve there were a scattering of winter Thrushes.
An odd Shoveler, first seen on Friday, was again present today. It is slightly smaller than the female Shovelers and has an all dark bill.
Other counts today were as follows: 27 Pochard, 40 Shoveler, 170 Teal, 25 Common Snipe, three Common Gulls and a Siskin along the Old Road.
15th November 2014
– Misty all day.
The more noteworthy birds today were the lingering female Goldeneye, a Jack Snipe in the Marsh, six Golden Plover which flew over later in the morning, and the re-appearance for the first time for many months of the Whooper / Mute Hybrids. It is possible that there were two Goldeneys in that one was seen to fly off from Car Park Pool with, a little later, it or another on Railway Pool.
Other counts today were as follows: One Little Grebe, six Herons, 23 Cormorants, 17 Mute Swans, 246 Greylags, two Farmyard Geese, 35 Canadas, 201 Wigeon, 46 Gadwall, 131Teal, 97 Mallard, 40 Shoveler, 23 Pochard, five Tufteds, 11 Moorhen, 14 Coot, 86 Black-headed Gulls, nine Common Gulls, one Herring Gull, one Lesser Black-backed Gull, 187Lapwing, 22 Snipe, two Yellowhammer in the crop field, 40 Linnets along the Old Road, eight Rooks in the flood plain and three Skylarks over the tip field.
In the afternoon, nine attended the Work Party and many thanks to those that contributed. Work undertaken included the strimming and driving back the vegetation along either side of the path through the back gate copse to try and encourage more Twayblade Orchids; cutting back of the Alders and Willows between the south-west pond and the back gate copse and the reduction in one of the Willows west of Railway Hide; the removal of some Alders to the right of the north causeway hide; the ejection of some mice from the lock-up and the re-attachment of the caps to the sluices to lift the water levels in the pools, prior to a reduction in the spring when we hope to create muddy ditches.
14th November 2014
– Very wet start, slowly clearing, south-westerly wind.
A female Goldeneye was a new arrival on Railway Pool this morning but became elusive at the end of the day.
The weather improved markedly from mid-morning and in the afternoon the Jack Snipeshowed well in the Marsh about half way along the main channel. The rain of the last few days meant that the pipe into the Marsh below Oak Hide was running strongly and the water level in Railway Pool has risen substantially with the gravel bar nearly under water.
Other birds today included 15 Snipe, two Song Thrush, 15 Redwing, a Goldcrest on the causeway, 16 Pheasant in the crop field and two Bullfinch by Railway Hide.
As the light went and the temperatures fell, three distant pencil thin “skeins” of birds flew west well to the north and were too far away to identify – Cormorants ?
13th November 2014
– Blustery south-easterly winds, mostly overcast.
A minor Finch-fest included the following flying over, or present on site: 33 Goldfinches, fiveRedpoll (a four plus a one), one Siskin, three Bullfinches, one Brambling and, in and around the crop field, two Yellowhammers and at least 20 Reed Buntings.
22 Pochard split between the two pools was a good count. There are two Common Gulls in with about 50 Black-headed Gulls on Car Park Pool, 20 Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush along the Old Road near the cottages, three Buzzards over the wood (two adults and a juvenile), a male Sparrowhawk over the car park and a Grey Wagtail which flew over Siden Hill Wood before flying back again towards the pumping station.
12th November 2014
– Morning rain, overcast afternoon.
The Jack Snipe again showed in the Marsh. It has been favouring the area towards the back on the right.
A Peregrine put in a usual brief appearance and there were 13 Pochard.
11th November 2014
– Occasional sunny intervals, patchy afternoon rain, south-easterly wind.
It was generally quiet early this morning with little out of the ordinary; two Common Gulls on Car Park Pool, three Stock Dove and two Yellowhammers in the crop field, 50 Starlings in the top of the dead Ash by Oak Hide and another 30 over being the most noteworthy birds.
The Lapwings were their usual flighty self as a result of the presence of a Peregrine later in the morning. A Grey Wagtail went over, there was a Bullfinch by the car park and aGoldcrest on the causeway.
10th November 2014
– Mostly fine and sunny, south-westerly wind.
Both a Jack Snipe and a Water Rail showed well in the Marsh in the morning, with anotherWater Rail heard from the Reedbed. At least 240 Fieldfare flew south in flocks from ten up to 150 and two Redpoll also went over, along with a Grey Wagtail and a Meadow Pipit. APeregrine also put in a brief appearance and there were at least three Yellowhammers in the crop field.
9th November 2014
– Sunny, mild, south-westerly wind.
The Otters were much more elusive today with just a single sighting of one very briefly just after 7 a.m., and the whistling female heard briefly about 11.30 a.m.
In the sunny weather, the Reedbed was beautifully still but perhaps the presence of the Otterswas the cause of a lack of other wildfowl on the pool and there were just a few Moorhensaround the edge. At least five Common Darters showed well around the hide and there were plenty of Reed Buntings flitting between the Reedbed and the crop field, with at least 25 and a couple of Yellowhammers. A Kingfisher also put in a brief appearance.
On the pools there were at least six Common Gulls and a Great Crested Grebe and, in the afternoon, an Oystercatcher was a surprise visitor to Railway Pool. 20 to 30 Redwings andFieldfares were feeding along the Old Road where there were also a pair of Bullfinches.
In addition to six Common Gulls on Railway Pool, there were 35 Lesser Black-backs and aHerring Gull on the floods by Patrick Farm. 15 Snipe in the Marsh and a Treecreeper behind Railway Hide.
8th November 2014
– Very wet all day. Blustery south-westerly wind.
The undoubted excitement of the weekend as a whole, but Saturday specifically, was the sighting of an Otter family on the Reedbed Pool and two pups were seen on and off for about quarter of an hour from just after 7 a.m., with the female whistling to the two pups and passing right in front of the Reedbed Hide. A great find by Paul Johnson.
Not satisfied with this, however, Graham Rowling and Dave Scanlan then had the female and three youngsters on and off for ten minutes just after mid-day. Quite possibly the animals had been pushed out of their normal riverside habitat by the high water levels as the river had flood extensively across the flood plain.
Afternoon watchers were sadly disappointed, resulting to humming various tunes from Matt Munroe to Oasis (no wonder the Otters did not appear!), but were at least sheltered from the driving rain from the now completed hides.
Prior to the start of the really wet weather, 125 Fieldfares and 30 Starlings went over prior to 9 a.m., with a further 55 Fieldfares later on.
There were 30 Linnets in the Old Road game crop, pairs of Bullfinches by the back gate and along the Old Road, and at least 40 Redwings along the Old Road. At least five Song Thrushes were heard and seen with two along the Old Road and at least three on the causeway, and two Green Woodpeckers showed well on the opposite side of the river from Railway Hide.
Other counts during the day were two Mute Swans, 265 Greylags; a fall in Duck numbers saw only 151 Wigeon, 28 Gadwall, 163 Teal, 28 Mallard, 34 Shoveler, four Pochard and nine Tufted. There was a single Little Grebe, 22 Cormorant, a Heron, a Water Rail on the causeway, 13 Moorhen, 16 Coot, 249 Lapwing, 25 Snipe, 42 Black-headed Gulls, twoCommon Gulls, seven Lesser Black-backs, a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the car park feeders, a Meadow Pipit around the car park itself, a Rook on the flood plain and, in the late afternoon, 300 Starlings came in to roost. A Siskin also went over.
7th November 2014
– Wet all day.
Aside from five Pochard noted on Car Park Pool there was nothing else in the log.
6th November 2014
– Sunny a.m., cloudy and showers p.m., increasing south-easterly wind.
Little to report today; a Lesser Redpoll flew over Oak Hide at 11.30, a male Sparrowhawkwas on the hunt across the Reserve, at least two Song Thrush on the causeway and a Green Woodpecker at Oak Hide.
5th November 2014
– Light frost, misty start and then sunny intervals, light northerly wind.
The hedges along the Old Road in the crop field were busy this morning, at least 25 Reed Buntings, 20 to 30 Redwings, at least ten Blackbirds and a pair of Bullfinches. A flock of 25 Linnets were feeding in the crop field near the oaks and there were at least twoYellowhammers there.
70 Wood Pigeons went over in two flocks at around 8 a.m., with others, uncounted, prior to this time.
At mid-day two Golden Plovers flew over, five Yellowhammers were amongst the Reed Buntings in the crop field and, in the evening, c.250 Starlings roosted in the Reedbed.
4th November 2014
– Sunshine and showers, noticeably cooler and progressively clouding over, light north-westerly wind.
The rather elusive drake Mandarin again appeared this morning, visible from Oak Hide between 10.30 and 11 a.m. Five Golden Plovers also circled the pools at 9.45 a.m. before flying off west.
3rd November 2014
– Mostly sunny, light south-westerly wind.
Birds were fairly similar to yesterday with a Water Rail again from the north causeway hide, 30 Linnets around the edge of the crop field, five Fieldfares and 50 Redwings over and three Common Gulls on the pools. A Sparrowhawk hunted the margins of the pools and aKestrel took a small mammal from the edge of the crop field and flew into the oak tree to eat it.
2nd November 2014
– Showery, slightly cooler, south-westerly wind.
Presumably the same Redshank from Thursday was seen again today along with the leucisticLapwing and also the drake Mandarin. A few Redwings were feeding in the hedgerow behind Oak Hide and three Fieldfares went over. There was a build up of Finches andBuntings in the crop field with 10 to 15 Yellowhammers and the same number of Reed Buntings, mostly feeding at the far end of the field. There was a flock of 30 Linnets there and 15 to 20 Reed Buntings between the dried up pond and the causeway area.
15 Snipe were mostly around Car Park Hide, a Kingfisher showed well at the Oak Hide, aWater Rail by the causeway, a Nuthatch by the south-west pond and a Siskin was heard by the back gate.
1st November 2014
– Sunny after light overnight rain, remaining extremely mild, light south-westerly wind.
Early on, a juvenile Peregrine flushed Gulls and Waders from both pools and aSparrowhawk did nothing to alleviate the twitchiness of the Lapwings. A Raven also went over and there were three Common Gulls amongst the Blackheads.
Yellowhammer numbers have now increased to six with the Reed Buntings in the crop field with the latter wandering down to the causeway regularly.
There was a Jack Snipe on the Dragonfly Pond and in the mild weather there were plenty ofCommon Darters with at least 20 counted either along the concrete road or around the Dragonfly Pond itself. There was also a Peacock Butterfly along the Old Road and a Red Admiral by River Hide.
Other counts today comprised five Little Grebes, 21 Cormorants, seven Herons, three Mute Swans, 320 Greylags, 12 Canadas, 238 Wigeon, 12 Gadwall, 192 Teal, 59 Mallard, 118Shoveler, five Pochard, 19 Tufted, eight Moorhen, 21 Coot, 106 Lapwing, seven Snipe, 226 Black-headed Gulls, four Lesser Black-backs, at least two Common Gulls, oneHerring Gull over, 40 Redwings over, one Meadow Pipit on the tip field, two Skylarks over and three Linnets on Railway Pool.
