It was a grim start this morning with steady rain soon after I left the house! We stuck it out and, amazingly, it brightened up and turned into quite a pleasant morning. Met DK in the car park and we checked out the main lake where there were 7 Wigeon over near the sailing club with 4 grazing on the grass. Good numbers of Coot were also at the Sailing club end of the lake along with 10 Cormorant. A couple of Pochard were on the north side with the majority on the south side (in excess of 113). Odd Tufted Ducks were also present but we didn't find any Gadwall today. There were also ~58 Mute Swans.
Fingers was fairly quiet with 3 Tufteds on the east lake, a pair of Great Crested Grebes and a single Little Grebe on the west lake. Just the single Mute Swan pair (inc 500) this week along with several Canada's setting up territories and a Coot seen dragging some nesting material onto one of the fingers.
Along the Woodland Walk we had 3 Bullfinch including a spanking male!
With the help of JA's scope we managed to bag 4 Teal and a Shoveler on Fenlake but no sign of a stonechat. A Kestrel flew past and gave us a few good views as it hovered over the Fenlake meadow.
A male Sparrowhawk gave good views over Fingers, DK spotted it headin across the main lake and over the hide where we spotted it again on the south side.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Smoke without fire
Today, Tuesday, the wardens and the ringers tried to light a fire. Three times there were flames, three times there were crackles, three times there was smoke. But, alas, no bonfire. Every thing was very wet - and that was before the afternoon sleet and rain began for yet another day.
The object of today's task was to reduce some more of the Hawthorn scrub in the 'Rough' to assist in catching the birds during the study period this summer. This 'constant effort' study has been going on along the same net rides for 20 years. If the vegetation is too high, the birds will not be caught, If the vegetation becomes too 'overgrown', the numbers and types of birds will alter.
The object of the whole exercise is to try and maintain 'standardisation' as near as is possible. This is achieved by 'rotational cutting'. This allows four differing heights and density of habitat to be available to the birds each year, maintaining the 'status quo' - more or less.
The object of today's task was to reduce some more of the Hawthorn scrub in the 'Rough' to assist in catching the birds during the study period this summer. This 'constant effort' study has been going on along the same net rides for 20 years. If the vegetation is too high, the birds will not be caught, If the vegetation becomes too 'overgrown', the numbers and types of birds will alter.
The object of the whole exercise is to try and maintain 'standardisation' as near as is possible. This is achieved by 'rotational cutting'. This allows four differing heights and density of habitat to be available to the birds each year, maintaining the 'status quo' - more or less.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday 20th February 2010
Cold again this morning and much of Fingers and the main lake had a covering of ice. On Fingers a Mink showed on the ice along one of the fingers opposite the last fishing swim along the Spit. A new pair of Mute Swans had taken up residence on Fingers but 500 and her partner made their way from the main lake to Fingers later in the morning so expect some fireworks on there in the near future as they sort out territory ownership!
Met TP along the main path, he'd had Little Grebe on the navigation channel and Kingfisher as he cut through from the business park car park. I went over to the nav channel but didn't see the Little Grebe, a Kingfisher was heard at the join with the flood channel.
Met DK who'd had ~90 Barnacle Geese over earlier and Chiffchaff singing at the Steps. On my way to the Sedgewick Seat I spotted ~20 Barnies on their way back towards Willington. Sparrowhawk was seen in the trees opposite the Sedgewick Seat. No sign of the Chiffy at the Steps.
At the main lake hide only about 80 Pochard in site but probably around 100 in total on the lake, quite a bit down on last week. Probably double figures of Tufted Ducks, 3 Shoveler and 5 Gadwall. DK also had a couple of Wigeon.
On Press Mead a Kestrel was seen and a single male Bullfinch. Nothing on Fenlake, a couple of fishermen not helping there although the water was completely frozen anyway.
Along the western side of the main lake a Coot was seen carrying nest material at the disabled access fishing swim. Several Green finch were singing up towards the north west corner.
That was it, nothing too exciting, just great to be out on bright cold morning.
Met TP along the main path, he'd had Little Grebe on the navigation channel and Kingfisher as he cut through from the business park car park. I went over to the nav channel but didn't see the Little Grebe, a Kingfisher was heard at the join with the flood channel.
Met DK who'd had ~90 Barnacle Geese over earlier and Chiffchaff singing at the Steps. On my way to the Sedgewick Seat I spotted ~20 Barnies on their way back towards Willington. Sparrowhawk was seen in the trees opposite the Sedgewick Seat. No sign of the Chiffy at the Steps.
At the main lake hide only about 80 Pochard in site but probably around 100 in total on the lake, quite a bit down on last week. Probably double figures of Tufted Ducks, 3 Shoveler and 5 Gadwall. DK also had a couple of Wigeon.
On Press Mead a Kestrel was seen and a single male Bullfinch. Nothing on Fenlake, a couple of fishermen not helping there although the water was completely frozen anyway.
Along the western side of the main lake a Coot was seen carrying nest material at the disabled access fishing swim. Several Green finch were singing up towards the north west corner.
That was it, nothing too exciting, just great to be out on bright cold morning.
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