Pretty quiet this morning although bubbling female and singing male Cuckoo were a pleasant surprise over at Riverside. Still plenty of singing Warblers with Chiffchaff seemingly the most common singers this morning with ~6 around the park and out along the cycle track.
At the Tern Pool 21 Tufted Ducks were accompanied by a single Pochard. A single female Yellow Wagtail and a Grey Wagtail were seen along with Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.
Back in the park there were plenty of noisy young Jackdaws around Fingers. We had a Muntjac from Kramer hide. A Kingfisher was seen in the southeast corner of the main lake. Treecreeper was heard in the Willows in the south west corner of the main lake.
Join us for the guided walk next Sunday but watch out you regulars as it's a 08:00 start NOT the normal 09:00. See you there.
Priory Country Park is a former gravel pits located on the South East edge of Bedford, adjacent to the River Great Ouse. Find us at Barkers Lane off A428, or in Priory Business Park off A421 Bedford bypass. Admission is Free with access to the Visitor centre and 2 hides, one overlooking the main lake and one on the Finger lakes. You will find Winter wildfowl, passage terns and waders, and Water Rail all year.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
CES ringing 29/05
A very sunny day that kept most of the adult male birds in the treetops, strutting their stuff, if they weren't already ferrying morsels to their offspring.
Out of the 21 birds that we caught, 8 were juvenile Robins (1 a retrap from last week at a different sub-site). We have now caught 18 birds from a guesstimate of 6 different broods/nests.

Others included 3 young Chiffchaffs, a juv Chaffinch, 2 fledged Dunnocks + 3 adults, a pair of Balckbirds a cock Wren and a female Garden Warbler that was born in this patch in 2007.
We now have a wait of two weeks before the next session, our 5th of 12.
Out of the 21 birds that we caught, 8 were juvenile Robins (1 a retrap from last week at a different sub-site). We have now caught 18 birds from a guesstimate of 6 different broods/nests.

Others included 3 young Chiffchaffs, a juv Chaffinch, 2 fledged Dunnocks + 3 adults, a pair of Balckbirds a cock Wren and a female Garden Warbler that was born in this patch in 2007.
We now have a wait of two weeks before the next session, our 5th of 12.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday 25th May 2009
Managed to get down the park a bit earlier this morning, still didn't beat EN though who was ringing in the Crescent. A couple of Willow Warblers were singing in the car park and a couple of Greylags took off over the south side of the main lake and left to the east. An adult Fox was poking about in one of the south side fishing swims, a younger one was seen later crossing the path into the Rough. Cuckoo very vocal around the Rough.
On Fingers Tufted Ducks (pair), Gadwall (pair), Great Crested Grebe (pair) and the Mute Swans were out and about with at least 3 cygnets. Not much about around the back of Fingers.
Arrived back with EN just in time to see a juvenile Kingfisher in the hand, having just seen 2 from the spit with DK.


Took the path along the river on the south side of the main lake with Grey Wagtail at the Canoe Slalom and the Spillway, may have been the same one. Sedge Warbler just up stream from the the Canoe Slalom and several more along the far bank on Fenlake. Also had a Cuckoo calling over Fenlake.

Along the west side of the main lake had a flyover Cuckoo, heading out over the Marina.
After Saturdays leaping Carp at Castle Mill the Carp in the Finger lakes were very frisky today with plenty of spawning action. Also along the far bank of the river at Fenlake several good size Carp were seen spawning.
On Fingers Tufted Ducks (pair), Gadwall (pair), Great Crested Grebe (pair) and the Mute Swans were out and about with at least 3 cygnets. Not much about around the back of Fingers.
Arrived back with EN just in time to see a juvenile Kingfisher in the hand, having just seen 2 from the spit with DK.


Took the path along the river on the south side of the main lake with Grey Wagtail at the Canoe Slalom and the Spillway, may have been the same one. Sedge Warbler just up stream from the the Canoe Slalom and several more along the far bank on Fenlake. Also had a Cuckoo calling over Fenlake.

Along the west side of the main lake had a flyover Cuckoo, heading out over the Marina.
After Saturdays leaping Carp at Castle Mill the Carp in the Finger lakes were very frisky today with plenty of spawning action. Also along the far bank of the river at Fenlake several good size Carp were seen spawning.
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