This weekend at the park

On Saturday I spent the first part of the morning chasing around the main lake, trying to identify an interesting small grebe. I first saw it as it headed across from the west end of the island to the south west corner of the lake. It looked like a mini Great Crested Grebe from that distance which got my interest as I thought it might be a Slav. I hurried around to the fishing swim on the west side, in time to see the grebe take flight to the reed bed by the hide. I walked around to the first fishing swim beyond the hide but could not get a view of the reed bed so i went back to the hide and waited. Eventually there was some movement in the reeds and some tantalising glimpses but I still wasn't certain of the id before it disappeared again. I continued around the lake, meeting up with John on the way, but from one of the east side fishing swims we could see the grebe out in front of the hide so it was a hurried walk back to hide only to find it was a Little Grebe after all, confirmed by the whinnying call. Male Tufted duck also present.

On the way back around the south east corner of the lake a Migrant Hawker dragonfly posed on a branch and a Jay flew low over the trees at the back of the Leat. There seemed to be more GC Grebe this week but we could only count 10 although they were actively fishing so difficult to tell how many were underwater. Cormorant numbers grew through the morning to 32+, all actively fishing again for most of the morning.

At the Spit the highlight was a Water Rail at the north end, had heard another earlier in the south west corner of the main lake. There were 3 Gadwall on West Fingers. 28 Redwing over.

Errol and Ed were ringing in the Rough, see Errol's earlier blog. After a chat we headed to the Woodland Walk, a Common Darter dragonfly sat for his picture on the way. More 'peckered nest boxes were found along to the Woodland Walk (12 & 14) but little else. Back at Kramer hide we brief views of a Kingfisher but again little else.

On Sunday highlights were:

2 male Wigeon on West Fingers which departed when they saw me. 3 Gadwall again.

1 Goldcrest, with ring, by the Dead Seat.

EN was ringing, solo, in the Rough and reported a singing Blackcap. As we chatted a Chiffchaff burst into song.

At Meadow Lane GP there were 3 Teal and a couple of Common Sandpipers. 2 Kingfishers also put in an appearance.

Meadow Pipits and Sky Larks were common down towards the bypass.

Just a solitary Mute Swan on the Tern Pool. On the fields opposite 85 Greylag, 63 Canada and 32 Barnacle Geese.

Back in the park found nestbox 6, in the Sheep Pen, 'peckered. On my way back to the car park EN called to report a Water Rail on the main path.

Not much Redwing movement today.

Ringing - 11th Oct

A short morning session in the 'rough' produced 30 birds of 13 species, of which only 7 were retraps.
Wren 1r/t, Dunnock 1, Robin 3(1 adult), Blackbird 1(poss continental male), Song Thrush 2r/ts, Redwing 1 (more flying about but too sunny), Goldcrest 1 - a lovely adult male (a scarce thing; most are 1CY birds or indeterminate age), Blue Tit 1r/t, Great Tit 2, Chaffinch 3, Greenfinch 8 (signs of some movement) & Goldfinch 4.

Saturday 4th October

A bright start lured me out early only for it to cloud over fairly quickly. Only a handful of Canada Geese on the main lake when I arrived rising to c.14 by mid morning. Great Crested Grebe numbers were up to 11 this week but the big increase was the Cormorants. On arrival there were 16 on the main lake with 12 in a raft actively hunting. By mid morning this had risen to 34 with two thirds of those hunting. I haven't seen Cormorants hunting for so long before, normally you see them hunting for a few minutes before finding somewhere to dry out, this morning they appeared to be hunting all morning! A Redwing was on the main path as I walked down to Fingers.

It was very quiet down the Spit with just a single male Gadwall and a pair of Shoveler on West Fingers. Some of the Fingers have had a hair cut in the week.

Little action at Kramer hide, just a few Moorhen.

A walk out along the cycle path was also pretty fruitless. Goldcrest in the hedgeline by the STW and 4 Teal on the new workings on 100 Acre along with the usual Gulls and odd Cormorants. A Mute Swan and a few Mallard on Meadow Lane GP, a Kestrel hunting along Meadow Lane and a complete blank on the Tern Pool. Did find the Canada Geese though, with 102 feeding in the field opposite the Tern Pool. On the way back to the park at least 4 Siskin passed over along with 3 Meadow Pipits. Another Mipit over later, back in the park.

Between the Sedgewick Seat and the Rough, good views of Goldcrest in the coppiced area next to the Sheep Pen. Nest box 5 is sporting a second hole in the front courtesy of a Woodpecker. Quiet around the Rough but a Grey Wagtail at the Dead Seat was a nice surprise and Chiffchaff singing in the Willows nearby.

A loop of the main lake returned Grey Wagtail at the Beach, possibly the same one seen earlier, and a Kestrel hunting over the main lake island and mobbed by a Jackdaw, then four BH Gulls and finally seen off by a Crow.

Little else of note just those Cormorant which were still fishing when I left.