Sunday 30th March

Spring has sprung! A cracking morning, excepting a rather stiff breeze. Spotted 10+ Sand Martins over the Rough as I crossed the meadow towards Fingers. Entering the conservation area around Fingers a Chiffchaff was singing in the coppiced section next to the Sheep Pen. A Blackcap was singing much further along the path towards the Sedgewick seat but I turned right towards the Steps and another Blackcap started singing in the scrub opposite the Rough gate. At the Dead Seat spotted a Coot and a male Shoveler on west Fingers. The Chiff followed me along the path staying high in the trees and singing strongly before veering off into the Rough. A second Chiff was spotted in the willows along the second finger from the Steps, the first was still singing in the Rough. The ringed Robin was in the Rough at the usual corner but a second unringed bird was closer to the path singing.


At the Spit a pair of Long Tailed Tits were carrying nesting material, heading down to the fenced off section. On west Fingers the pair of Great Crested Grebes and at least three pairs of Canada Geese. On east Fingers just a pair of Canada Geese.

At Kramer hide a Reed Bunting was singing from the small reed bed at the north end of east Fingers. A young Heron was in the usual roost tree. Four Moorhen got into a fight, plenty of noise and feet flying. Two Jays flew in over the hide, one stopping briefly in the tree in front before both continued across and followed the tree line at the back of Fingers, stopping in the taller trees along the path next to the coppiced plantation. A Chiffchaff sang briefly in the trees behind the hide, another/same was seen in the tree out front of the hide.

In the Willows, near the Sedgewick seat, a Chiffchaff singing, a Treecreeper "creeping" and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A Blackcap was singing in the fenced off section behind the same Willows.

Back at the Rough a Blackcap was singing before being chased off by a second. A Green Woodpecker called from somewhere near the Dead Seat. As I passed west Fingers again both Mute Swans were there.

At the beach my attention was drawn to the small group of trees opposite by a
rapid drumming. A second burst confirmed my first thought, Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker. I scanned the trees for sign but could not locate the bird. A third
burst of drumming was heard and then a glimpse of a bird in flight disappearing
through the trees and across the flood channel to the woods behind. I walked
around and scanned the area for a while but there was no more drumming and I
could not locate the individual. The drumming was very rapid with no drop in
cadence at the end.

Sadly the above turned out not to be a LSW but instead was a Green Woodpecker drumming on the nest box in that stand of trees. Completely different to the other GW we had drumming on the nest box near Kramer hide. As I said very fast but probably too short a burst for it to be LSW. DK is very interested in this "drumming" behaviour which is not common in Green Woodpeckers, although not unknown. Seems we have at least 2 at it in the park this year. (DB 06/04/2008).

A chiffchaff was singing in the woods opposite the canoe slalom.

Another Chiff was singing in the trees behind the main lake hide and a second flew across the walkway to the hide as I approached. On the main lake c.6 Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Mute Swans (third seen later). Only two Cormorants (increased to four later). A kingfisher flew to the trees to the left of the hide but departed when it saw me and flew back around to the Leat.

As I walked along the south side of the lake there were a further 4 singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcap. A Kestrel was hunting on the main lake island. There were at least two Bullfinch near the Leat Pool and a Green Woodpecker called from the trees on the south side of the lake.

A great morning.

Very early Sat 29th!

Muster at 5am. Proceed to Spit. Erect 3 nets at western end. Coffee.
Todays tally - 2 m.Chiffs (new), pr LTT, 4x Gt. Tits (3 x 2CY, 3 x females), 3 Wrens, 2 Dunnocks (pr?), 1 m.Blackbird (from Oct.05), 1 f.Bullfinch, 1 m.Reed Bunting.
Packed in at 8am - wind becoming excessive.
At 5am, the Jackdaws were still in roost, although some of them were moving about. 15 minutes later, they all took off over the main lake in a tremendous hoo-haa. The sun was very bright early on and the Kingfisher came roaring over, doing circuits of the Fingers, shouting its head off to anybody who cared to listen. Fantastic to see. David & John sauntered past just before 8; whilst passing the time of day, a Water Rail shot from one side of the spit to the other. The Greenfinches woke up as we took the nets down.
We must be daft getting up this early. [More to come from beginning of May for 4 months!]

Saturday 29th March

A bright start this morning with sun and blue sky, however the wind increased during the morning and the cloud was rolling in by the time I left, mid morning. On arrival two Oyster Catchers flew in over the visitor centre and touched down on the main lake island for a while before leaving south east. They were seen again, later, heading down the navigation channel. There was also a Chiffchaff singing in the car park.

At Kramer hide very little activity. A Reed Bunting was singing from the trees in front of the hide and the usual Chiff was singing over towards the Sedgewick seat. Another Chiff was feeding in the tree to the left of the hide. The Green Woodpecker was hammering away on the nest box again. A second was calling from over toward the Sheep Pen and a third was heard from across Kingsmead. A Chiff was heard singing behind the hide, but could have been the one seen earlier. Five Sand Martin arrived and buzzed around over the lake for a while. A Great Crested Grebe came in and was followed shorly after by 6 Canada Geese and a couple of pairs of Mallard. A Pheasant called from the Spit. The island to the left of the hide seems the place for nests with a pair of Blackbirds and a pair of Long Tailed Tits taking nest material into the cover on there. A pair of Gadwall came in from west Fingers and a Little Grebe was also seen.

A Mallard looks to have nested in the base of the tree, front left of the reed bed in front of the hide. It saw off a Crow which went in to check it out. However a bit later the Mallard left the nest and the Crow seized the moment and went straight back in. Looked like it might have found something in there but was soon chased off by the returning Mallard.

Left the hide and headed back up the navigation channel, where there was a pair of Mute Swans, before walking around Fingers. The resident Mute Swans were on east Fingers along with a Great Crested Grebe, which may have been the one seen from the hide. Along the Spit a pair of Greenfinch were seen and on west Fingers a single male Shoveler and three pairs of Canada Geese. Heading back along the Spit a male Reed Bunting flew from the spit to the west Fingers reed beds nearest the main path.

On the main lake there were at least six Great Crested Grebe and a Male Shoveler. Turned off the main path at the Steps and continued up towards the Dead Seat. The usual Robin was on his corner.

Robin

A Chiffchaff was singing in the trees by west Fingers backed by the calls of a single Greenfinch and half a dozen Goldfinch. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was on the peanut feeder in the Rough along with a couple of Great Tits. A fix watched from the far side of the Rough before disappearing into the thicker cover. In the coppiced area next to the Sheep Pen more Gold and Green Finches called.

Goldfinch

At the Willows by the Sedgewick Seat a Treecreeper was feeding and the usual Chiffchaff was singing, the same bird as heard from Kramer hide. Up at the Kissing gate another Chiffchaff was singing in the Long Hedge and yet another singing further along the Cut, on the way back to the main entrance.

Back at the car park the Chiff was still singing strongly.