Saturday 12/04/2014

Another great morning in the park with a number of firsts for me for the year. Despite a cold wind this morning and overcast conditions, spring seemed to be in the air with a number of species seen mating including one of the pairs of Mute Swans on the Finger Lakes. I think these are the new pair but Orange 500 and her new mate are still hanging in there. The new pair were also nest building along one of the fingers this morning.

Mute Swan mating dance

The pair of Great Crested Grebes on Fingers were also seen doing the weed dance. There were also at least 3 Treecreepers along the Spit and the resident Common Buzzard was also about, being mobbed by a Crow as usual!

There was also some interesting behaviour from a Grey Heron seen from Kramer hide. There were four Herons in the area but one was obviously in breeding condition showing a lot of orange on its beak and it was moving branches about as if trying to build a nest. Feathers on the neck and crest were erect and there was a lot of bill clacking and sky pointing going on. Here are some pictures unfortunately obscured by branches.

Erect crest and neck feathers

Bill clacking

Sky pointing

There was quite a bit of Oystercatcher activity around the main lake island and it looks like there maybe one sitting on a nest on the island although it was obscured by foliage so we'll have to keep an eye on it. At least we know where we should be looking now.

Oystercatchers over the main lake

One of my year firsts was a singing Sedge Warbler at the STW reed bed. On to 100 Acre and we had the usual array of birds including the Black-winged Stilt which was very mobile this morning, Redshanks, Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers. Another year first was the 3 House Martins in with a group of Sand Martins and Swallows. There was also a White Wagtail but we dipped on Yellow Wagtail which had been seen by AG earlier. A Black Swan was a first for the site, initially on the crop field with 21 Mute Swans and later on the nearby lake.

Black Swan on 100 Acre

There were a lot of Blackcaps around the park this morning but Chiffchaffs seemed less numerous. There were also a handful of Willow Warblers around and when we returned to the Visitor a Common Buzzard passed overhead.

Common Buzzard

Earlier this week I popped down to the park in the evening to see what bats were around. While I was waiting for sun down quite a few Sand Martins came in over Fingers and the main lake, I estimated 60 when they all got up at the west end of the main lake. I was also fortunate to see a Swallow in with the flock over Fingers as I scanned through them with my bins.

I also came across this male Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Crescent.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Also of note were:

2 Shovelers (m) Fingers

5 Little Egrets

1 Oystercatcher

1 Buzzard calling from the Finger Lakes area

The bats showed up around 20:20 and good numbers of Pipistrelles were out and about when I left at 20:50. 

A very foggy morning.

It was very foggy this morning, the main lake island was just peeking through the gloom as we left the park mid morning. I was first to arrive today, not a single car in the car park, but JA and DK arrived a little later. I managed to glimpse the main lake swans mating, followed by their post mating dance, through the fog, always beautiful to see.

Mute Swans mating dance

While watching a female Reed Bunting in the Crescent I heard the groaning and squealing of a Water Rail in the reed bed.

Reed bunting (f)

5 Gadwalls were on Fingers and the pair of Great Crested Grebes were nest building.Chiffchaffs were singing in the Rough and at the end of the Spit.

Having met up with JA and DK we headed to Kramer hide where we managed to make out at least 3 Teal through the fog. The Mute Swans were at the nest doing a bit of maintenance. Next stop was the STW bridge where we had at least one Kingfisher and a pair of Grey Wagtails.

Back in the Rough we had a Blackcap singing over on the west side and at the Canoe Slalom we found another? Grey Wagtail.

A few more singing Chiffchaffs as we made our way around the park and we were back at the car park. Not a great deal to see in the fog, it was all about using your ears today. Forecast looks similar for the guided walk tomorrow. Meet outside the visitor centre at 9am BST. (Don't forget the clocks go forward tonight).

After Priory I headed up to Mowsbury Hillfort NR where I had at least 2 Chiffchaffs singing, 3 Mistle Thrushes, Yellowhammer and displaying Lapwings and this obliging Green Woodpecker.

Green Woodpecker