Week ending 30th June

Dreadful weather - 86mm rain this month and still counting! Last weekends ringing produced 21 youngsters out of 36 - 3 wrens, 2 chiffs, treecreeper, 2 blackies, 6 blackcap, 4 redbreasts (only one getting a red bosom), whitethroat & 2 gardens. Also one hybrid willow-chiff. [This has been a feature of the site for some years - parents may be a straight cross (shortage of willows) or may be a chiff or willow with a hybrid]. Adults included wren, sedge, snog thrush, 3 dunnox, greenfinch, 3 blackies, 2 blackcap and a garden.
Both Turtle Doves seen (definitely nesting). The Mandarin seen mid-week. The Grebe had four youngsters and is now trying to avoid the fishermen. Plenty of Swift activity. Up to 200 Smarties at times. Hobby. Sparr. Green Wood. Sedges singing well - a better, if later, year? Reed Warblers "very chatty" in the crescent but more "studious" along the path (the latter back and forth feeding - young?). Some of the reeds around the lake look in a sorry state but there's been a shortage of 'green stuff' and the swans and geese have ragged the fresh phrag. as it's grown. 16-20 terns at times fishing the main lake. Huge dead Pike on Fingers (opp. "dead seat"). Early mornings and the Canadas are spread way into the new meadow. Still plenty of song - but not for much longer.
Went to Minsmere on Fri. - different list of birds there, though.

Saturday 23rd June 2007

A very pleasant walk around with Dave Kramer this morning. An eclipse male Mandarin duck was seen on west fingers from the spit. The Great Crested Grebe on the nest looked very puffed up as if the chicks may have hatched and be sitting on her back. Unfortunately she didn't oblige with a view of the youngsters so we'll just have to wait and see. A Turtle Dove was purring over near the rough.

Errol was ringing in the Rough this morning. He had a couple of Sedge Warblers and a young Robin while we chatted. The Turtle Dove also sang again but we were unable to see it.


I continued on around Fingers with Dave and we came across a large snail which I think was an Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) also known as a Burgundy or Roman snail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_pomatia)

We continued on round the main lake but there was little of note birdwise. Plenty of Blackcaps were singing again and good numbers of Reed Warblers also. The Grasshopper Warbler was absent again but a Kingfisher was heard in the northwest corner of the main lake and possibly a second along the leat although the call was very brief.

Errol rang to say he had a couple of Stock Doves over around 09:30.

Sunday 17th June 2007

Following are counts for Sunday morning.

Blackbird 14
Blackcap 17 (1 redcap)
Blue Tit 3
Canada Goose 76
Carrion Crow 12
Chaffinch 12
Chiffchaff 4
Collared Dove 2
Common Tern 16
Common Whitethroat 1
Coot 4 (pair with 2 chicks on main lake)
Cormorant 8 (6 over and 2 on Kingsmead)
Dunnock 4
Garden Warbler 1
Great Tit 3
Green Woodpecker 2
Greenfinch 5
Greylag Goose 1
Heron 4
House Martin 6
Long Tailed Tit 8
Magpie 5
Mallard 33m/10f/22d (Females with 5,3,8 and 6 ducklings)
Moorhen 5
Mute Swan 7 (1 on nest West Fingers)
Pheasant 1
Reed Bunting 4 (3 Fenlake side of the river)
Reed Warbler 11
Robin 5
Sedge Warbler 1
Song Thrush 2
Starling 1
Swift 22
Tufted Duck 1m
Wood Pigeon 15
Wren 21
Willow Warbler 2
Great Crested Grebe 4 (2 main lake and the fingers pair)
Jackdaw 15
Sand Martin 18
Goldcrest 1 (Singing)
Bullfinch 1

Surprisingly no Kingfishers and the Grasshopper Warbler wasn't heard on Fenlake. A Muntjac was taking a drink along one of the fingers in the Finger lakes.