Sunday morning Gropper

Red Kite

Greater Spotted Woodpecker

You shall not pass

Couple of Oystercatchers

Saturdays patch visit sadly resulted in no change. The heavy rain had increased the water levels but it won't have any effect for the early returning waders unless we have a lot more.

Combined weekend sightings from myself, Paul & Jon included :- a Red Kite, 8 pairs of Little Grebe (new brood on reed lagoon), 4 Cormorant, 2 Grey Heron, 16 Mute Swan, 12 Greylag (and 2 young), 89 Canada Geese (and 8 young), 4 Shelduck, 15 Gadwall (plus a brood of six small ducklings on the main pit), 1 male Teal, 122 Mallard, 1 male Shoveler, 54 Tufted Duck, 1 Red Kite, 1 Sparrowhawk, 10 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, 30 Red-legged Partridge, 6 pairs of Moorhen, 123 Coot and many broods, 4 Oystercatcher on main pit (1 came off apparent nest in herbage on “High Island” – not the Texas one!), 4 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Lapwing, 53 LBB Gull (one nest), 6 Herring Gull, 3 Green Woodpecker territories in area,  300 Swifts over main pit, 5 Sand Martins, Meadow Pipits feeding young, 2 juvenile Grey Wagtails at Pophills, 5 pairs of Sedge and 25-30 singing Reed Warblers, Treecreeper in plantation, good view of a Nuthatch in the oak tree by the main pit entrance (rare at the pits), c.15 pairs of Reed Bunting and a Corn Bunting around the former site of the central lagoons, probably the wandering male from the spring – it has also been singing at Bidford. 

The bird of the week was a Grasshopper Warbler reeling on the side of main bund by “hidden pool” found by Jon on Sunday. The Squire did try and see it in the evening but the wind made it near impossible. Let's hope its on territory and seen again.

Also two Roe Deer fawns and a Pyramidal Orchid in flower by the main pit (not seen every year here).