23 January 2012

Not too bad a morning, although the winds have eased off it still felt cool but with the sun shining it was almost spring like, temp was 6c with a light W breeze, visit from 07.45 til 09.45.

2 Mute Swans were on the boating lake, this time it was CL45 plus a unringed bird CL98 flew off yesterday, around the boating lake a single Willow Tit with another in the nature reserve, a single Bullfinch plus 2 pair by the top pool and a Greenfinch by the sidings, my first at Westport this year, on the main lake, 45 Tufted Duck, 1 Goosander, just 9 Pochard, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Mute Swans and 4 Goldeneye (1 male & 3 female). A couple of Pied Wagtails were feeding along the grass verge of the main lake.

Good numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were going over this morning most were adults and all were heading in a N/NW direction, a conservative estimate would be around 100+, a few stopped off on the main lake and included a single Herring Gull.

In the nature reserve, a Jay was by the top pool and a nice flock of 8 Lesser Repolls were a nice surprise and another Westport year tick, 2 Chaffinches were also around here. 2 Stock Doves were again on the old gas works and a Mistle Thrush had me going at first when I thought I'd found Jeff's Green Woodpecker from yesterday, alas it wasn't to be.
On the old sewage works 2 Siskin flew over as did a single Starling and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from the treeline, as I made my way home I came across a unusual Goose in the Canada Geese flock in front of the visitor centre, I'm really not sure what it is but would hazard a guess at some sort of hybrid, possibly a Bar-headed x Emperor or a Bar-headed x Barnacle, any ideas, let me know please.