Saturday 24th April 2010

A great morning for year ticks if you are in to that sort of thing, other wise just great to see and hear the new arrivals.

Common Terns are getting more numerous around the park with pairs noisily chasing around over the main lake, Fingers and up and down the navigation channel.

First new arrival, for me, was a Reed Warbler along the main lake reed bed between the Steps and Spit. Another 2 a little further along with a Sedge Warbler in between.

A Swallow flew in over the main lake from the north east.

A Cuckoo was heard and located in the top of the dead branches of the tree by the Dead Seat.

A Common Whitethroat was singing from the south east corner of Fingers. (New).

2 Swifts (New) were seen over Riverside accompanied by a Sand Martin.

At the Tern Pool, just over the bypass along the cycle track, a Yellow Wagtail (New) was spotted on the fence before it moved to the edge of the pool then back to the field and finally flying to the entrance road to the gravel works.

A Lesser Whitethroat (New) was heard as we started down the Grange Estate loop.

On the way back to the park a Common Buzzard was seen low over the bypass bridge. It drifted off towards the big lake on 100 Acre.

All in all a great morning with 5 year ticks plus the Cuckoo, which we heard during the guided walk last week, but this was my first sighting of the year.

Spring bird walk

One of EN's Robins singing in the Rough

A fine sunny day but with a cool if light NW wind. Good to see Stan on his feet, making an erudite return.

First up, 3 Common Terns over the main lake, plus 2 Lesser Black-backs. 3 pairs of grebe "hugging each other", least ways, not stirring far away. There were Coots sitting on eggs, still laying eggs, still building and others still wondering what to do. The female swan, of the No.1 pair, was sitting proud on her nest, high on the southern end of the island. However, we found a pair of interlopers tentatively setting about nest-building beside the main path (just before the spit).

The birdsong in the spit area was made up of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Chaffinch and, of course, Dunnock. From the end of the spit we could see 3 Gadwall in breeding array, and we watched a female Gt. Spot. for a short while. We wandering round to the 'dead seat', enjoying Robin song, more Blackcaps and Chiffs, busy Blue Tits, mewling Bullfinch and an elusive Willow Warbler.

As we were about to enter the 'new meadow', we heard the call of a male Cuckoo, somewhere over towards the sewage farm, moving along Kingsmead perhaps. This is a site first for 2010, and is 2 days ahead of the mean date for the last decade (DK) and 4 days ahead of the 'nineties. Great and Blue Tits were keeping close to their individual boxes as we walked the 'long hedge. At the 'concrete bridge', another rather elusive Willow Warbler.

We meandered through the 'woodland walk', arriving at the 'navigation. Here we were given an excellent opportunity to watch 3 Sedge Warblers, singing and not taking much of a liking to each other. Over the bridge, there was little to excite except, perhaps, a pair of Lapwing in the near distance. We concluded today's walk back along the New Cut, listening to various Blackcaps, Dunnocks and Chiffs. A Green Woodpecker was glimpsed following its give-away "laugh". "Back at the ranch", we tried to tie down the singing Willow Warbler near the centre, but failed miserably to get other than a fleeting glimpse of it.

Next walk - 4:30 AM on Sunday 9th May for the 'dawn chorus' followed by coffe and bickies!

Saturday 17th April 2010

A scouting mission before the guided walk tomorrow morning and a cold start too. Scraped the frost off my car before I set off! Fantastic clear blue sky, what a difference it makes with no planes flying at the moment, no sign of the ash cloud either.

First up was a single Common Tern over the main lake, my first this year. A Willow Warbler was singing behind the Visitor Centre and a Blackcap was singing in the car park. Several pairs of Great Crested Grebes displaying to each other on the main lake, no sign of the pair on Fingers today, the nest site looked deserted, still they always seem to take several attempts to get it right. 2 male Gadwall and 3 Tufted Ducks (1f) on Fingers with Blackcap singing at the end of the Spit. The two pairs of Mute Swans were both on their nests, 1 on Fingers and one on the main lake island, on the main lake the resident male had his hands full trying to clear out invaders, giving up in the end and settling for an exclusion zone around the island. DK had a Sedge Warbler along the edge of the main lake just as he reached Fingers along the main path. JA joined us by the Crescent and DK departed taking the opposite route around Fingers.

Plenty of Blackcaps around the park with odd Chiffies and Willow Warblers also. At the STW reed bed we heard our first Sedge Warblers of the year but only managed fleeting glimpses as they darted in and out of the reeds. We took the cycle track out towards Willington checking out each of the lakes. A couple of Mallards with a single duckling on the first, small, pool. On the large lake on 100 Acre a Redshank was heard and few Tufteds were seen. At Meadow Lane GP we flushed a Snipe and Little Grebe was in residence. Plenty of Skylarks in the fields either side of the bypass. On the Tern Pool there were at least 10 Tufted Ducks. No sign of any Yellow Wagtails but plenty of great view of the skylarks including one just a few metres away along the track.

Heading back there were several Lapwings displaying over the fields and a couple of Stock Doves feeding in the ploughed field opposite the Tern Pool. A Willow Warbler was singing in the Trees as we reached Meadow Lane GP again. Minimum of 14 Sand Martins over the STW. Back at the STW Reed Bed and we finally got good views of a singing Sedge Warbler along the edge of the Navigation Channel, brilliant.

Along the Woodland Walk Bullfinch was heard along with ticking Blackcap and singing Chiffy. Heading into the Fingers complex both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew from the large Willows on the right. JA spotted a Common Buzzard gliding north west over Riverside. EN and EG were in the Sheep Pen. On our way towards the Steps we spotted a Bat Box that has seen some Woodpecker attention, probably the one we had heard earlier. We thought it was on a nest box judging by the hollow sound but DK mentioned they had been on the bat boxes.

No sign of Grey Wagtails along the Canoe Slalom, probably too late. At Fenlake JA thought he'd heard a Grasshopper Warbler but it was just a distant Sedge Warbler, no less welcome though. There were at least 4 Teal on Fenlake and Kestrel was spotted hunting over the back of the lake.

Little else of note on the rest of the circuit but the Willow Warbler was still singing by the VC when we reached the car park. Another very enjoyable morning, lets hope it's just as good tomorrow.