Photo of a Dunnock from No.3 bed.

Cheers David

Photo of a Woodpigeon from No.3 bed

Cheers David

Photo of a House Sparrow from No.2 bed near the Weir

Cheers David

After an early morning frost it turned very spring-like today. You can tell that spring is close when you go onto No.3 bed and hear the raucous sound of scores of Black-headed Gulls scouting out their annual breeding site. For a few weeks they come and go building, from the hundred or so present today, to a peak of maybe 1,500 birds by May. It was also a morning for birdsong, with Dunnocks, Wrens, Great Tits, Robins and Song Thrushes all in great voice around the Reserve. Apart from the many commoner species, highlights were : 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Water Rail, 2 Ravens, 45 Bramblings, 3 Willow Tits, 9 Redwings, 2 Goldeneyes, 10 Shelducks and 11 Pochard.

Photo of two Black-headed Gulls from the Morgan Hide

Cheers David

Another really good morning on No.3 bed, starting with breakfast at dawn in the Morgan Hide, while counting both birds on the water and moving over. Then a slow circuit of the bed, predominantly counting the finch flocks. Totals included: 49 Bramblings, 1 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpolls, 12 Bullfinches, 160 Greenfinches and 55 Chaffinches. Aside from the finches, sightings of interest were: 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Goldeneyes (at the Weir, per Dave Steel), 4 Snipe, 11 Pochards, 1 Willow Tit, 5 Redwings, 32 Shovelers, 300 Teal, 10 Shelducks and 550 Lapwings. The 80 Black-headed Gulls which dropped onto the lagoon were probably early returners to the breeding colony.

Photo of a Blackbird in front of the Morgan Hide

Cheers David (with Alan Warford, Helen Wynn, Dave Steel, Sue Haddock,Brian Baird and Les Jones)

Wetland Bird Count across the Reserve:

Little Grebe 8, Great Crested Grebe 7, Cormorant 16, Mute Swan 49, Grey Heron 6 Shelduck 15, Greylag Goose 2, Canada Goose 23, Wigeon 2, Gadwall 50, Teal 753, Mallard 103, Shoveler 35, Pochard 19,Tufted Duck 528, Goldeneye 5, Water Rail 1 Moorhen 38, Coot 50, Kingfisher 1, Black headed Gull 180, Common Gull 1, Lesser Black backed Gull 1, Herring Gull 2 . Other main sighting was a gathering of 40 Bramblings beneath the feeders at the Morgan hide feeders, the highest count of the winter so far.

Brian Martin with David Hackett, Derek Britch, Les Jones, Al Warford and Brian Baird

A nice mid-morning to late afternoon wander, in crisp winter sunshine, today. I started at the Weir Pool, where there’s always a chance of something being brought in by the hard weather. Today it was a Little Egret, flying east over the Weir, while 3 Goldeneyes were among 265 Tufted Ducks, 7 Pochards, 29 Mallards, 22 Gadwall, 9 Shovelers, 8 Mute Swans and 5 Shelducks on the river. On the walk back to No.3 bed, 65 Redwings and a few Fieldfares were perched alongside the track. Last part of the day was spent having a coffee in the Morgan Hide on No.3 bed, where 12 Bramblings were around the feeders, along with 110 Greenfinches and 35 Chaffinches. While most of the lagoon was frozen, 540 Teal, 30 Coot, 12 Shovelers and 10 Shelduck were working hard to keep a small area of water open. They were looking well settled until a police helicopter decided to hover low above them, sending most of the Teal skittering south over the Ship Canal.

Photo of a Cormorant from the Weir Pool today.

Cheers David

Sunshine and blue skies were welcome, on our first Saturday morning survey of the New Year, yesterday. Dawn saw four Goldeneyes at the Weir basin and Pink-footed Geese calling as we walked into No.3 bed for breakfast in the Morgan Hide. From the hide, hundreds of Teal were calling from the flooded reed-beds, with scores more out on the water, along with Shovelers, Gadwalls, Mallards and a few Shelducks. Finches on/under the feeders built up well over the morning, with maxima of 10 Bramblings, 120 Greenfinches, 40 Chaffinches and 5 Bullfinches, along with the odd Willow Tit. Then, our six mile, post-breakfast walk took us along the Ship Canal, through Nos.2 and 1 beds, to Bollin Point, Rixton Paddocks and the farmland beyond. Highlights included: a male Peregrine at the Viaduct nest site, the odd Fieldfare, another skein of Pink-footed Geese, a drake Wigeon, plus 150 Tufted Ducks, 3 Little Grebes and 6 Great Crested Grebes on the Canal. Returning to No.3 bed, a Cetti’s Warbler was singing from the South Bank, odd Lesser Redpolls and a Siskin were noted, while 35 Redwings and 11 Pochards dropped in. Cheers David Bowman (with David Spencer, Alan Warford, Helen Wynn, Brian Baird and Les Jones)