Salford Priors GP (November)

Merlin

Boat on main pit !

Grey Wagtail

Redwing

Access to the pits continues to be difficult with dark mornings, early nights and an increased presence from contractors. Mark discovered one contactor in a dingy possibly checking depth levels for fishing.

The mid-month count was as follows:-

15 Mute Swan, 472 Greylag, 2 Canada Goose, 80 Mallard, 46 Tufted Duck, 3 Gadwall, 10 Little Grebe, 13 Cormorant, 20 Linnet,1 Jay, 1 Merlin, 4 Black-headed Gull, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 60 Redwing, 240 Redwing, 2 Buzzard, 1 Great Spotted & 1 Green Woodpecker.

Additional sightings 1 Goosander (16/1), 1 female Blackcap, 4 Wigeon, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Stonechat (19/11).

 

Salford Priors GP - October

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Merlin

Pintail

Wigeon

Merlin

Kingfisher

Stonechat

Stonechat

Ruff on left side of island

October Sightings

2nd Cattle Egret, Ruff, 3 Stonechat, Kingfisher, Snipe, Pochard

4th Whooper Swan, Ruff, 2 Cattle Egret over, Snipe, 23 Whooper, Common Sandpiper

11th  Female Merlin, 2 Whinchat, 1 Clouded Yellow

14th - Whooper Swan found dead

16th 200 Meadow Pipit, Pochard, 4 Shoveler, 20 Wigeon, 5 Teal

18th Little Egret, Pintail, Merlin

19th 36 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing

20th Merlin, 12 Fieldfare

22nd Merlin, Pintail - now 6 dead Swans

WRYNECK ! - Salford Priors GP (September)

Wryneck (F Peplow)

Wryneck

Wryneck

Peppers double at scene of the Wryneck

Whinchat

Common Buzzard

Weasal

Whinchat

Whinchat

Hobby

Common Redstart

Wigeon

Starling

An excellent September for us at Salford Priors. The clear highlight was Wryneck, which became our 208th species at the site. The Wryneck was found by Francis, who had a tremendous year of finding birds locally. Four of us managed to connect with the bird.

Francis was then on the main pit when a Whooper Swan flew in on 30th September. That was our 126th species of the year, now just six behind last year's total.

3/9 - West Midland All dayer 67 species

8/9 - Wryneck

9/9 - 4 Whinchat, 1 female Redstart

11/9 WeBS Count 28 Little Grebe, 24 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 21 Mute Swan, 2 Greylag, 8 Canada Geese, 4 Wigeon, 14 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 270 Mallard, 1 Shoveler, 25 Tufted Duck, 50 Coot, 10 Lapwing, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Herring Gull with 20 Lesser Black-back, Kingfisher, 50 Swallow, trickle of mipits, Grey Wagtail, 1 Whinchat on hedge at back of main pit, Cettis Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler,  4 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Blackcap, 45 Chiffchaff, Jay, 2 Ravens and 45 Goldfinches at Marsh Farm.

13/9 - 4 Stonechat

18/9 - 22 Little grebe, 10 Cormorant, 2 Grey Heron, 21 Mute Swan, 62 Greylag, 30 Canada geese, 7 Wigeon, 14 Gadwall, 1 Pochard, 6 Teal, 250+ Mallard, 2 Shoveler, 23 Tufted Duck, 55 Coot, 4 Swallow, 80 House Martin, 13 Meadow Pipit, Cettis warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay, 3 Raven, 2 Buzzard, Kestrel & Red Kite.

19/9 Golden Plover over

23/9 31 Mute Swan, 15 Wigeon, 12 Gadwall, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Water Rail, 40 Meadow Pipit, 6 Swallow, 4 House Martin, 6 Sand Martin, Little Egret.

24/9 Little Egret, 2 Stonechat, 4 Swallow, 10 Wigeon

28/9 Clouded Yellow butterfly, 4 Stonechat

29/9 Whooper Swan, 80 Meadow Pipt, Common Sandpiper, 2 Stonechat, Ringed Plover, 2 Water Rail, 15 Wigeon

30/0 Whooper Swan, Common Sandpiper, Whinchat

Salford Priors GP (July/August)

 Great Spotted Woodpecker

Red Kite

Red Kite & Buzzard

Brown Hare

Redstart (Mark Clarke)

The summer months have once again proven difficult to get through. The extended dry spell and boiling temperatures with the ongoing looking over your shoulder every minute is very tiresome. Pophills is now completely out of bounds as its being converted for fishing with CCTV installed. It's even tested my record keeping and visits. I seem to go from daily spring visits to weekly, which are also begrudged.

I did find a Brown Hare caught in deer fencing mid-month which was thankfully released due to Marion & Dennis, who came down quickly with cutting equipment.

Anyway here are a summary of the sighting highlights:-

1st July - Great White Egret

9th July - Stonechat

13th July - 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper

25th July - 2 Common Tern

27th July - Redstart

1st August - Wheatear, last LRP, 2 Kestrel, 1000 Starling

4th August - 2 Redstarts, Common Sandpiper

8th August - Whinchat, Redstart

11th August - Lots of Chiffchaff & Blackcaps, 1 Lapwing

12th August - Female Redstart, singing Willow Warbler

14th August - 5 Teal

21st August WeBS count :- 20 Little Grebe, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 4 Grey Heron, 20 Mute Swan, 140 Greylag, 52 Canada Geese, 6 Gadwall, 4 Teal, 210 Mallard, 50 Tufted Duck, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Red Kites, 5 Buzzard, 4 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 85 Coot, 1 Lapwing 4 Swallow, 12 House Martin, 30 House Martin, 2 Raven, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 LBBG, 4 BHG, 1 female Redstart, Blackcaps & Chiffs active, lots of fledged Goldfinch.

27th August - Juvenile Peregrine, Green Sandpiper, Lesser Whitethroat

31st August - Greenshank, Wheatear

Many thanks to everyone for their sightings.

Salford Priors GP (June)

 Oystercatchers

Marbled White

Pryamidal Orchid

Little Ringed Plover chick

Cuckoo

Skylark

Large Skipper

Brown Argus

Oystercatcher 

Oycstercatcher chick

Bee Orchid

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

June has been enjoyable overall with breeding birds & orchids to see. Two Oystercatcher & 4 Little Ringed Plover fledged were noteable breeders. We continue to do well with butterflies with Esses,Large Skipper and Marbled White added this month. 

The year list crept to 117 species with a brief Turtle Dove sighting (JB) & a Great Black-backed Gull (MC). With no tern sightings and very little wader movement we will need a big autumn to reach close to our regular total. We still haven't recorded a Green Sandpiper.

Highest counts during the month were :- 8 pairs of Little Grebe, 12 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 7 Grey Heron, 21 Mute Swan + brood of 9 on Pophills, 3 Greylag + brood of 4, 75 Canada Geese, 230 Mallard, 51 Tufted Duck + brood of 4, 2 Red Kites, 5 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, 95 Coot, pair of Oystercatcher+ 2 young, 8 Little Ringed Plover + 4 young, 15 Lapwing, 1 Redshank, 2 Cuckoo, 150 Swifts, 30 Swallow, 20 Sand Martin, 30 House Martin and 3 pair of Yellow Wagtail.