Monday, July 12, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Saturday 10th July 2010
A brief visit to the park on Saturday morning, on the way to the BNHS guided walk at Willington. Mute Swan numbers topped the hundred this week with 101 plus the 3 cygnets on the main lake. Canada Geese numbered 89. By the main lake island we appear to have 2 nesting Grest Crested Grebes, the first time i can remember grebes nesting on the main lake. There was also a well grown youngster from this year on the main lake, given away by the stripey head. Not sure where that flew in from.
Still plenty of Reed Warbler activity in the main lake reed bed. On Fingers the juvenile Great Crested Grebe is still being looked after by a single adult. Not sure where the other one is.
Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting at the STW reed bed. Plenty of singing Black Caps and Common Whitethroats. Skylarks singing by the bypass. Couldn't find a Yellow Wagtail by the Tern Pool again. Continued around the Tern Pool and joined the cycle path on it's diversion down by the river. Checked out the small pool next to the bypass to find a couple of young Great Crested Grebes with a single adult.
Continued along the cycle track and took the new path past the Dovecote Lake to the Dovecote in Willington to join up with the guided walk which concentrated on Dragonflies and Damselflies. I learned quite a bit in the morning session before departing at lunchtime and heading back to Priory.
On the way back, from the bridge over the bypass, I had a pair of Oystercatchers each with a well grown youngster by the L shaped pool. At Meadow Lane GP I spotted a Little Grebe feeding a well grown youngster.
Another scorching morning was over and it was back home for a cool down.
Still plenty of Reed Warbler activity in the main lake reed bed. On Fingers the juvenile Great Crested Grebe is still being looked after by a single adult. Not sure where the other one is.
Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting at the STW reed bed. Plenty of singing Black Caps and Common Whitethroats. Skylarks singing by the bypass. Couldn't find a Yellow Wagtail by the Tern Pool again. Continued around the Tern Pool and joined the cycle path on it's diversion down by the river. Checked out the small pool next to the bypass to find a couple of young Great Crested Grebes with a single adult.
Continued along the cycle track and took the new path past the Dovecote Lake to the Dovecote in Willington to join up with the guided walk which concentrated on Dragonflies and Damselflies. I learned quite a bit in the morning session before departing at lunchtime and heading back to Priory.
On the way back, from the bridge over the bypass, I had a pair of Oystercatchers each with a well grown youngster by the L shaped pool. At Meadow Lane GP I spotted a Little Grebe feeding a well grown youngster.
Another scorching morning was over and it was back home for a cool down.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Saturday 3rd July 2010
Another glorious summer day began with the Mute Swan and Canada Goose counts on the main lake. This week it was 99 Mute Swans + 3 cygnets and 90 Canada Geese. Add to that the 2 Mute Swans and 5 cygnets on Fingers. There were a lot of Swifts about this morning over the main lake. A Reed Warbler burbled in the reeds by the main lake opposite the VC. Several more were flitting to and fro between the Crescent and the main lake reed bed further along the path. Joined DK and strolled around the Crescent and the Spit, No sign of the Gadwall that DK had in the week and little at all really other than Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The Great Crested Grebe chick was accompanied by one adult with the other adult unseen (on nest somewhere?). JA joined us having just seen a Little Egret passing over. DK had another later on but sadly there won't be a photograph, his memory card was back home in the computer! Needless to say the air was a little blue, or so I was told.
Myself and JA headed off along the nav channel and had good views of a Sedge Warbler in full song with several flight songs thrown in. Incidentally it was very quiet at Kramer hide with the young Jackdaws now nowhere to be seen.
As we headed off along the cycle track a Sparrowhawk popped up out of the trees along the Cut having put the wind up all the birds in the area. There was little of note on the 100 Acre lakes although a Redshank was heard. Plenty of Skylarks up towards the bypass a large party of Rooks just over the bypass. Looked like youngsters hanging around by the edge of the field and adults bringing food to them. No sign of any Yellow Wagtails by the Tern Pool.
Having just crossed back over the bypass all the Rooks suddenly got up and then a couple of Buzzards came into view and flew directly overhead grappling with each other a few times as they went. They were last seen over Castle Mill.
Back in the park we caught up with EN, ringing in the Rough and having quite a successful morning.
Red Admiral, Comma, Meadow Brown, Tortoise shell and white butterflies were seen throughout the morning with Comma being the most frequently seen.
A quiet morning all told but not unusual for this time of year. There are still plenty of singing Warblers to be had but much more difficult to see in the thick foliage. The Cuckoos seem to have departed and once again no Kingfisher!
Myself and JA headed off along the nav channel and had good views of a Sedge Warbler in full song with several flight songs thrown in. Incidentally it was very quiet at Kramer hide with the young Jackdaws now nowhere to be seen.
As we headed off along the cycle track a Sparrowhawk popped up out of the trees along the Cut having put the wind up all the birds in the area. There was little of note on the 100 Acre lakes although a Redshank was heard. Plenty of Skylarks up towards the bypass a large party of Rooks just over the bypass. Looked like youngsters hanging around by the edge of the field and adults bringing food to them. No sign of any Yellow Wagtails by the Tern Pool.
Having just crossed back over the bypass all the Rooks suddenly got up and then a couple of Buzzards came into view and flew directly overhead grappling with each other a few times as they went. They were last seen over Castle Mill.
Back in the park we caught up with EN, ringing in the Rough and having quite a successful morning.
Red Admiral, Comma, Meadow Brown, Tortoise shell and white butterflies were seen throughout the morning with Comma being the most frequently seen.
A quiet morning all told but not unusual for this time of year. There are still plenty of singing Warblers to be had but much more difficult to see in the thick foliage. The Cuckoos seem to have departed and once again no Kingfisher!
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