Fri - another lovely day. Fieldfare very vocal in the hawthorn bushes today - I think there must have been an overnight invasion! Vis-miggers saw lots of "thrushes" very high in the sky going SW at dawn, too. This years Wood Pigeon passage is looking the strongest its been for many years. Still a few Sky Larks on the move. Very few Mipits.
20/21 Cormorant & 30+ GCG on main lake. Fingers had Kingfisher, 3m Teal, 2m + 4f Shoveler, 2m + 1f Gadwall, & 2 LGrebe. There were 11 Herons on site (2 on main lake) including 4 yearlings. The middle section (south-west side of main lake) has now been closed off for the winter.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
After Halloween
Thurs - mainly sunny but the wind got up. Tried to catch a rarity - but none about! Lol! Did manage 26 but half were retraps. Best birds - ad.male Gt.Spot, a Redwing, 2 young male Bullfinch, but the rest mostly tits. Would have had more Blackbirds but the wind combined with slack netting, holes in netting and feisty birds kept it down to just 2. Nearly made it 3, but the bird shat a humungous wadge all over my glasses and I lost it. After I regained vision and wiped my cheek clean, noticed that it was all over my cap, bins & gilet! Must have had a Halloween curry last night!!!!
For the third day running, had a Harlequin ladybird.
Light Sky Lark passage - stopped by 10:30.
Some Redpolls "buzzing" about, too.
Early pm - Chiff & Blackcap.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Halloween
Wed - a grey morning, at least. On the main lake - 20 Cormorant & 35 GCGrebe; Jon Bish had some Wigeon early. On Fingers - 12 Shoveler, 10 Teal (brilliant!), 5 Gadwall, 4 LGrebe, 2 Heron. Elsewhere - Siskin f/over, 4 Les.Redpoll, 30+ Goldfinch all in one flock, plenty of Blackbirds, Redwings and Chaffinches. Squirrels having a go at the peanut feeders - not for much longer (getting the humane traps out). Gets expensive @ £16 each feeder; nuts currently £22/sack.
Mid-week ringing session
Tues - a middle of the day catching session in bright sunshine produced the following: Dunnock (1), Blackbird 1 - a particularly small imm. female, Redwing 1 - another adult (so far 45% have been this autumn), CHIFF 1 adult male, presumably here for the winter now, a mixture of young & old, male & female tits - Blue Tit 6 (4), Great Tit 4 (7) - two of 
the latter were first ringed in 2003, Greenfinch 2, Goldfinch 3 - all adult females, & LESSER REDPOLL 1 1st winter male.
the latter were first ringed in 2003, Greenfinch 2, Goldfinch 3 - all adult females, & LESSER REDPOLL 1 1st winter male.Danny (new ranger) saw a Blackcap (didn't say what sex)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Guided Walk - 28/10/2007
A most enjoyable guided walk despite the blustery and damp conditions. As Errol has already reported there is already a good variety of wildfowl in the park. The 14 Shoveller on the mainlake were spooked, when the sailing started, and flew towards Willington along with a number of Cormorants.
A large number of Starlings (50 ish) were seen overhead from the Rough heading towards the canoe slalom.
It's been a while since I last visited the park since when the path between the visitor centre and the Sailing club driveway has been resurfaced and the path by the beach has been finished. The "Labyrinth" is also well underway.
A large number of Starlings (50 ish) were seen overhead from the Rough heading towards the canoe slalom.
It's been a while since I last visited the park since when the path between the visitor centre and the Sailing club driveway has been resurfaced and the path by the beach has been finished. The "Labyrinth" is also well underway.
Guided walk
Sun 28th - damp was the word and the word was law by 10:45.
A grey day started with 2 Mipits moved on by a dog. 14 Shoveler (2 more on Fingers) & the male Pochard on the main lake. 2 Herons hiding from the stiff SW wind, too. A family group of 5 Magpie by the new "Labyrinth" project. In the Rough, many finches, Redwing, Fieldfare & Blackbird busy eating hawthorn berries and the fem. Blackcap on the blackberries. Overhead, a flock of 30+ Starlings heading south. Treecreeper was heard but not seen by the Fingers, and decent views of Bullfinch, Redwing, 5 Little Grebe, a pair of Gadwall, 7 Teal (which fled!) & 2 more Herons. Just the 1 Coot, though. No sign of the Chiff near the crescent. Round at the Kramer hide, another 5 Herons sheltering from the breeze (makes 9 in all) and just 2 Moorhen. Where have they all gone? A number of Crows tumbling in the wind over Kingsmead seemed to be enjoying themselves. Finally, a collection of tits along the New Cut plus a Kingfisher which just managed to keep ahead of us. And a well timed walk ended as the rain intensified enough to give every thing a good wetting. Next G/W = 25th Nov at 9:00.
A grey day started with 2 Mipits moved on by a dog. 14 Shoveler (2 more on Fingers) & the male Pochard on the main lake. 2 Herons hiding from the stiff SW wind, too. A family group of 5 Magpie by the new "Labyrinth" project. In the Rough, many finches, Redwing, Fieldfare & Blackbird busy eating hawthorn berries and the fem. Blackcap on the blackberries. Overhead, a flock of 30+ Starlings heading south. Treecreeper was heard but not seen by the Fingers, and decent views of Bullfinch, Redwing, 5 Little Grebe, a pair of Gadwall, 7 Teal (which fled!) & 2 more Herons. Just the 1 Coot, though. No sign of the Chiff near the crescent. Round at the Kramer hide, another 5 Herons sheltering from the breeze (makes 9 in all) and just 2 Moorhen. Where have they all gone? A number of Crows tumbling in the wind over Kingsmead seemed to be enjoying themselves. Finally, a collection of tits along the New Cut plus a Kingfisher which just managed to keep ahead of us. And a well timed walk ended as the rain intensified enough to give every thing a good wetting. Next G/W = 25th Nov at 9:00.
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