18 May 2010

Down Westport this morning from 05.40 - 07.50, temp was 11c little wind and sunny with little cloud coverage.
First thing of note was the number of Starlings, twelve in total feeding on the playing field, in the next month these will drop off too just fly over birds. On the main lake the Canada Geese where ferrying the 25x young across the lake towards the canal side, another group of x8 where by the bottom entrance to the Nature Reserve, 5x Mute Swans were on the main lake with the other breeding pair attempting to build yet another nest, I think this is there 5th attempt, good numbers of Great Crested Grebe with x8 but only 3x Tufted Duck, all males, 1x male Shoveler, on the grass verge x3 Little Ringed Plover and 3x Great Spotted Woodpeckers where flying across several times, poss feeding young, but unproven at present, a single Black-headed Gull flew over heading south, the model boating lake had the usual 2x Great Crested Grebe and 4x Mute Swans. Along the 'Avenue', 1x Willow Tit, 4x Blackcap, 1x Chiffchaff and Bullfinch.
In the Nature Reserve another Willow Tit was heard, Long-tailed Tits were feeding young, another Blackcap, 2x Chiffchaff, 3x Reed Warbler, the Mute Swan still sitting tight, and a Reed Bunting was heard, the old gas works and sewage works had, 1x Willow Warbler, 2x Chiffchaff, 3x Stock Dove, a pair of Linnets is the 2nd record in recent days and only the 3rd of the year, a Little Ringed Plover flew over calling as it headed high north and 3x Whitethroat were in the scrub area, along the canal side of the main lake a Coal Tit was a very good May record. As I headed home a Grey Heron flew over the canal heading south.

Total species seen 47.