28 July 2011

Not a bad couple of day's for a couple of Westport regulars, firstly on the 26th Jeff Jones had at least 2 Green Woodpeckers over the main lake and yesterday at a very early 06.30, Nick Smith had a Black-tailed Godwit fly over from the boating lake towards the visitor centre and off, never to be seen again.

This morning both Nick and myself were down nice and early, both for different reasons, I had finished work at midnight and hadn't been able to sleep and Nick had to be in work early, it was already bright and sunny but with a mist covering half of the main lake, wind was light and SSW, temp 14c, visit from 05.45 til 08.20.

As I entered via the bottom gate I counted 168 Canada Geese on the playing field along with the 3 remaining Greylag Geese but there was no sign of the recent 'Canlag', on the main lake 59 Tufted Duck, 4 Great Crested Grebe and the resident family of 4 Mute Swans, as Nick joined me a Cormorant flew over heading south, a small number of Black-headed Gulls were flying around with a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, along the reserve side of the main lake a Willow Warbler was part singing as it pasted through, a single Bullfinch was on the top pool with another on the sewage works, the single Reed Warbler continued to sing from the reedbed with a possible number of young Reed Warblers calling from the other end of the reeds, 3 probable Chaffinches flew a couple of which were youngsters, around 20+ Swifts had gathered over the main lake as the weather warmed up, a Treecreeper was heard calling near the top gate to the reserve, just by the entrance to the sewage works the first of around 6 Chiffchaffs were calling, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling with a probable different bird heard down near the bottom of the main lake later, as the weather warmed up the sewage works came to life a bit with Warblers, 6 Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler plus 3 Willow Tits were all seen together with around 20 Swallows gathering on the wires above, on the gas works a couple of Collared Doves flew over, at the top end there was a gathering of 16 Magpies and at the bottom end a Buzzard sat on a old lamp post.