Saturday 17th February 2007

Arrived at the park around 09:35 and headed for the main hide. A small group of 10 Lapwing passed over. A lot of activity on the main lake island today has spooked the Shoveler and Pochard. A quick count of the Shoveler had 60+ but most left heading for Willington GP. Nearly all the Pochard were up at one point and it seemed like most of those were going to leave as well but after several circuits of the park around 161 returned.

Also on main lake:
10 Cormorant
17 Canada Geese
20+ Great Crested Grebe
2 Mute Swan
2 Coot

Finger Lakes:
10 Little Grebe
4 Coot
2 Great
8 Tufted
1 male Gadwall
6 Teal

Kingfishers heard at various places around the park but none seen. 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers drumming on the far side of Kingsmead. 4 Greylag and 53 Canada Geese on Kingsmead.

By the time I left the park at around 11:45 all the Pochard and Shoveler had gone from the main lake. Most seemed to head towards Willington.

Sunday 11th February 2007

Arrived at the park around 8:45am and headed off around the main lake to the hide. On the way a large flock of Lapwing passed overhead, ~94 birds.

Main Lake:
At least 2 Kingfisher in 5 sightings
169 Pochard
7 Tufted Duck
74 Shoveler
13 Great Crested Grebe
10 Cormorant
2 Coot

Finger Lakes:
7-10 Little Grebe
3 Coot
1 Teal

At least 1 Water Rail in the Crescent reedbed.

Saw one of the rangers on the way back to the car. He said that he had found a dead Goosander earlier, probably the one I saw yesterday evening.

Great Tit

Great Tit (Nickname Flathead)

Blue Tit