26 February 2012

A pleasant morning around Westport, although it was rather quiet on the birding front, it felt as though Westport was waiting for the arrival of it's first spring migrants with the first buds of the year appearing on the Hawthorne and Willow trees, and by this time next month we will hopefully have a few added to the year list, it felt slightly cooler than the 7c probably due to the light WNW breeze, visit from 06.45 til 09.00.

There were 9 Mute Swans today, 7 on the boating lake and 2 on the main lake but no sign of last weeks yellow ringed adult, 25 Tufted Duck were split between 6 on the boating lake and 19 on the main lake, a couple of Mistle Thrushes were by the visitor centre with possibly another pair along the canal side, just 2 Pied Wagtails today along the front of the main lake, the 2 pair of Goldeneye remain on the main lake displaying and calling constantly, a single Greylag Goose was with Canada Geese on the boating lake, back to the main lake, 11 mainly male Pochard a single Common Gull and 4 Great Crested Grebes, in total 5 Jackdaws flew over in three separate groups, there was a good passage of large Gulls this morning, all of which were heading in a NW direction, they consisted of 22 Herring Gulls and 71 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
On the old gas works, 3 Stock Doves was the highest count for a while, a Bullfinch flew over with another later on the old sewage works, along the canal side of the main lake a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over a single Siskin was heard calling but not seen and a Kestrel flew over.
As I walked home along the canal I watched a Blackbird collecting nest material and taking it into a nearby bush, the first nesting bird of the year down Westport.