West End:- 26 Teal, 22 Mandarin, 2 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Duck, 6 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Terns, 2 Lapwing + 10 flew South, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Little Egret, 40 Swallows, 3 House Martins, 5 Moorhens, 1 Treecreeper, 3 Migrant Hawker Dragonflies.
Month: September 2017
10 Black-headed Gull; 14 Great Crested Grebe; 6 Grey Heron; 40 Lapwing; 13+ Mallard; Moorhen; 4 Snipe; 2 Tufted Duck; 60+ Canada Goose; 15 Cormorant; Green Sandpiper; 5 Greylag Goose; Little Egret; 10 Mandarin Duck; Pheasant; 5 Teal; 2 Woodpigeon.
West End:- 15 Egyptian Geese, 1 Bar-headed Goose, 3 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Tufted Duck, 9 Teal, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Buzzard, 6 Swallows.
West End:- Wigeon, Gadwall, & Snipe new in today.
Dam End:- Meadow Pipits and Raven.
West End:- 1 Wigeon, 1m Gadwall, 4m Tufted Duck, 17 Teal, 5 Mandarin, 2 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpipers, 7 Lapwing, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Egyptian Geese, 156 Canada Geese, 134 Greylag Geese, 2 Grey Wagtail.
Dam End:- 1 Raven, 2 Meadow Pipits, 5 Chiffchaff, 1m Blackcap, 5 Goldcrest, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Jays, 20 Swallows, Bullfinch heard, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Grebes, 12 Pied Wagtails, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Kestrel, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, 76 Black-headed Gulls, 9 Lapwings.
Ringing in The Study Area this morning was slow; not much sign of migration apart from a few Chiffchaff. Other birds of note were:- Goldcrest, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail and female first year Kingfisher.
West End:- 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Chiffchaff.
Whillet’s:- 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Jay and 2 Small Copper Butterflies.
Highlights of birds from West End this morning:- 8 Egyptian Geese, 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Lapwing, 11 Mandarin, 2 Buzzards, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Little Egret, 2 Tufted Duck, 103 Greylag Geese, 139 Canada Geese, 1 Kingfisher, 100+ mixed flock of Swallows & House Martins, 1 Nuthatch. Also Alan Brunt saw a Common Tern and a Pied Wagtail.
I had a moth box out last night – a new moth for the reserve was a Small Wainscot unfortunately it is rather plain to look at. (see pic). Also in the moth box were a Lunar Underwing and Pink Barred Sallow which are more colourful (see pics).
I found a cocoon attached to the underside of a leaf of Common Hemp Nettle at Whillet’s meadows (see pic). I have not seen this type of cocoon before and am uncertain what insect species made it.
Unknown cocoon on Hemp Nettle Leaf.
Lunar Underwing Moth
Pink Barred Sallow Moth
Small Wainscot Moth
West End:- 2,100 House Martins heading SE between 15:00-15:42, 100 Swallows, 8 Egyptian Geese, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Egrets, 16 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kingfisher.