With a light southerly breeze and overnight rain i was hoping for a migrant or two today but it wasn't to be, hopefully tomorrow, temp was a pleasant 8c.
It was a very quiet morning around Westport, Goosanders numbered just 8 on the boating lake with 4 flying off early, 4 Jackdaws flew over in a couple of small groups, on the main lake, 38 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye and 3 Great Crested Grebe with the usual other 2 on the boating lake, a pair of Teal were flushed from the stream by the 1st gate and later were seen flying back down that way from Jeff's Pool on the old gas works, a single Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the trees along the railway line, on the gas works 3 Stock Doves and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over the sewage works, 2 Mistle Thrushes were by the top entrance, back on the main lake a single adult Common Gull and Shoveler were additions.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
11 March 2011
Frosty start to the morning with bright sunshine, no wind of note, temp 4c, visit from 06.30 - 08.30.
Goosander numbers have been dropping rapidly over the week and this morning only 7 were present with 6 on the boating lake and a lone male on the main lake, the 2 Great Crested Grebes remain on the boating lake with another 3 0n the main lake, 4 Pied Wagtails on the grass bank looked like passage birds, on the main lake, the usual pair of Mute Swans, 41 Tufted Duck, just 3 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye and our resident Shoveler flew across to the boating lake, while walking through the nature reserve a single Jackdaw flew over calling as did a single Mistle Thrush, another Mistle Thrush was on the gas works and one by the top entrance, a single Willow Tit was by the boardwalk bridge with 4 by the top pool and 2 on the gas works, a single Great Spotted Woodpecker was along the reserve side of the main lake, on the gas works 2 Stock Doves and 3 Collared Doves, back by the main lake and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew through north, a quick walk along the 'Avenue' for early Warblers was fruitless but I did pick up 3 Redwings.
Goosander numbers have been dropping rapidly over the week and this morning only 7 were present with 6 on the boating lake and a lone male on the main lake, the 2 Great Crested Grebes remain on the boating lake with another 3 0n the main lake, 4 Pied Wagtails on the grass bank looked like passage birds, on the main lake, the usual pair of Mute Swans, 41 Tufted Duck, just 3 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye and our resident Shoveler flew across to the boating lake, while walking through the nature reserve a single Jackdaw flew over calling as did a single Mistle Thrush, another Mistle Thrush was on the gas works and one by the top entrance, a single Willow Tit was by the boardwalk bridge with 4 by the top pool and 2 on the gas works, a single Great Spotted Woodpecker was along the reserve side of the main lake, on the gas works 2 Stock Doves and 3 Collared Doves, back by the main lake and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew through north, a quick walk along the 'Avenue' for early Warblers was fruitless but I did pick up 3 Redwings.
Monday, 7 March 2011
7 March 2011
As there was no work to do I got an early finish and went straight down to Westport, although it was only 2c it actually didn't feel too cold, wind was from the south/east and light, visit from 06.40 - 08.30.
Nowhere near as many Goosanders today with just 46 seen in total, as usual most were on the boating lake with a handful on the main lake, 15 Jackdaws flew over heading north while around the boating lake, also on here the usual pairs of Great Crested Grebes, Mute Swans and Tufted Duck, towards the end of my visit I also saw 'Sammy' on here after he's been missing for a few days. The Green Woodpecker was again calling from Price's Field area, on the main lake, 10 Pochard, 43 Tufted Duck, the usual single immature male Goldeneye and just 3 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Siskins flew over while along here and a couple of Pied Wagtails were on the grass verge, the nature reserve was very quiet as usual with singles of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper and Willow Tit, while by the top pool a Grey Wagtail flew over calling, amazingly this is a Westport year tick for me this year, lastly back on the main lake and a couple of adult Common Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull had come in.
Nowhere near as many Goosanders today with just 46 seen in total, as usual most were on the boating lake with a handful on the main lake, 15 Jackdaws flew over heading north while around the boating lake, also on here the usual pairs of Great Crested Grebes, Mute Swans and Tufted Duck, towards the end of my visit I also saw 'Sammy' on here after he's been missing for a few days. The Green Woodpecker was again calling from Price's Field area, on the main lake, 10 Pochard, 43 Tufted Duck, the usual single immature male Goldeneye and just 3 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Siskins flew over while along here and a couple of Pied Wagtails were on the grass verge, the nature reserve was very quiet as usual with singles of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper and Willow Tit, while by the top pool a Grey Wagtail flew over calling, amazingly this is a Westport year tick for me this year, lastly back on the main lake and a couple of adult Common Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull had come in.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
5 March 2011
Felt a bit cold first thing with a temp of 4c, very little wind of note, heavy cloud coverage, visit from 06.45 - 08.40.
As I came into the park the Green Woodpecker could be heard calling from Price's field area and a bit later along the nature reserve, I went straight to the boating lake to count the Goosanders and managed 55, but they were flying in all the time and by the time I was joined by Nick and George we were up to 75, 5 short of the record set earlier in the week by Dave Kelsall, also on the boating lake were 3 Great Crested Grebe, on the main lake, another 3 Great Crested Grebes, a adult Herring Gull, 37 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard, and the imm male Goldeneye,the usual pair of Mute Swans were joined by another pair which were quickly chased off onto the boating lake, while on the grass verge, 2 Mistle Thrushes flew over also a couple of Jackdaws and a single Pied Wagtail, walking through to the nature reserve a Sparrowhawk flew over the main lake, the nature reserve was very quiet as was the gas works with just 3 Siskins flying over, just as we came back on to the main lake from the sewage works a Treecreeper was making it's way up a nearby tree, at last a Westport year tick I've been trying to catch up on was out the way.
Most of the Goosanders were now on the main lake and we counted 71, so we made our way back to the boating lake to see how many were on here, Dave Kellsall was already there and between us we managed to get 14 on here giving us a new record of 85 Goosander at Westport!!
I have received a few more photo's from Steve Seal, shown below.
As I came into the park the Green Woodpecker could be heard calling from Price's field area and a bit later along the nature reserve, I went straight to the boating lake to count the Goosanders and managed 55, but they were flying in all the time and by the time I was joined by Nick and George we were up to 75, 5 short of the record set earlier in the week by Dave Kelsall, also on the boating lake were 3 Great Crested Grebe, on the main lake, another 3 Great Crested Grebes, a adult Herring Gull, 37 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard, and the imm male Goldeneye,the usual pair of Mute Swans were joined by another pair which were quickly chased off onto the boating lake, while on the grass verge, 2 Mistle Thrushes flew over also a couple of Jackdaws and a single Pied Wagtail, walking through to the nature reserve a Sparrowhawk flew over the main lake, the nature reserve was very quiet as was the gas works with just 3 Siskins flying over, just as we came back on to the main lake from the sewage works a Treecreeper was making it's way up a nearby tree, at last a Westport year tick I've been trying to catch up on was out the way.
Most of the Goosanders were now on the main lake and we counted 71, so we made our way back to the boating lake to see how many were on here, Dave Kellsall was already there and between us we managed to get 14 on here giving us a new record of 85 Goosander at Westport!!
I have received a few more photo's from Steve Seal, shown below.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
3 March 2011
Much colder this morning with a ground frost, cloudy with sunny intervals, no wind hence the main lake was like a millpond, temp 1c, visit from 06.50 - 09.15.
Not as many Goosanders on the boating lake first thing with a count of 58, but by the end of the visit there was 75 on the main lake including just 3 on the boating lake. Also on the boating lake again like yesterday a pair of Great Crested Grebes, Mute Swans and Tufted Ducks, on the main lake another 35 Tufted Duck, singles of Shoveler and Goldeneye and 5 Pochard, a couple of Siskin were near the sidings area as I walked towards the nature reserve, a single Willow Tit was by the first gate and a pair of Teal were flushed from the small stream by the gate onto the bottom pool, at least 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming in the same place as yesterday and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over, by the top pool another Willow Tit and a single Bullfinch, onto the gas works and the usual 2 Stock Doves were on the railway gantry, another Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over towards Bradwell Wood and a pair of Bullfinches were flying around, on the gas works a single Jackdaw flew over calling, as it was frosty I decided to walk along the brook to see if any Snipe were present, no luck with the Snipe but had my first Kingfisher of the year at Westport, also on the gas works a single Chaffinch, 2 more Bullfinch and 2 Mistle Thrushes, along the canal side of the main lake 2 Collared Doves, a single Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull again with the small Black-headed Gull flock and 2 Pied Wagtails by the visitor centre.
Not as many Goosanders on the boating lake first thing with a count of 58, but by the end of the visit there was 75 on the main lake including just 3 on the boating lake. Also on the boating lake again like yesterday a pair of Great Crested Grebes, Mute Swans and Tufted Ducks, on the main lake another 35 Tufted Duck, singles of Shoveler and Goldeneye and 5 Pochard, a couple of Siskin were near the sidings area as I walked towards the nature reserve, a single Willow Tit was by the first gate and a pair of Teal were flushed from the small stream by the gate onto the bottom pool, at least 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming in the same place as yesterday and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over, by the top pool another Willow Tit and a single Bullfinch, onto the gas works and the usual 2 Stock Doves were on the railway gantry, another Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over towards Bradwell Wood and a pair of Bullfinches were flying around, on the gas works a single Jackdaw flew over calling, as it was frosty I decided to walk along the brook to see if any Snipe were present, no luck with the Snipe but had my first Kingfisher of the year at Westport, also on the gas works a single Chaffinch, 2 more Bullfinch and 2 Mistle Thrushes, along the canal side of the main lake 2 Collared Doves, a single Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull again with the small Black-headed Gull flock and 2 Pied Wagtails by the visitor centre.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
2 March 2011
Visit from 06.50 til 08.45, temp slightly up on yesterday at 5c, much cloudier with a slight breeze.
First stop was the boating lake to count the Goosanders, between Nick and myself we managed 68 and with three on the main lake this gave us a record total of 71 birds, other birds on here included the usual pair of Great Crested Grebes and a pair of Tufted Duck, a couple of Siskin flew over calling and a single Starling flew over, my first at Westport this year, on the main lake another 29 Tufted Ducks, 4 Pochard were later joined by another and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull with another 6 seen flying south over the gas works, as we walked towards the nature reserve a couple of Buzzards were seen high over towards Bradwell Wood, the nature reserve was rather quiet with Song Thrush and a couple of drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers being the highlights, on the gas works a couple of Stock Doves and Nick had a distant Sparrowhawk, onto the sewage works and nothing much here except for a single Jay and a pair of Bullfinches.
Back at the main lake and most of the Goosanders had now moved to the main lake with 68 present, 3 Mistle Thrushes were along the canal side of the main lake, a single Common Gull was in a small flock of Black-headed Gulls a couple of Chaffinches in the trees near the visitor centre and 'Sammy' was feeding around the old beach area, I met up with Pete Lunt who had also had another 5 Goosander still on the boating lake as well as the 68 on the main lake, a quick check confirmed this and hence another record count of Goosander at Westport with 73 present this morning, lastly as I left Westport a Redwing flew over and landed in the trees at the side of the canal.
Latter this morning Dave Kelsall smashed the goosander record with 80 on the main lake
Below are some of the many photo's I've been sent by Steve Seal and Pete Lunt while my computer has been off line, these will also be found on the slide show at the beginning of the blog.
Sammy Returns by Steve Seal
Pheasant by Pete Lunt
Kittiwakes by Pete Lunt
Male Goosander by Steve Seal
Pair Goldeneye by Steve Seal
Pheasant by Pete Lunt
Common Gull by Steve Seal
Avocet by Pete Lunt from last year
Goosanders by Steve Seal
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
1 March 2011
Nice dry morning with a bit of sunshine, temp was 4c but didn't feel that low, visit from 07.00 - 08.00.
Good count of 70 Goosander on the boating lake first thing was the highlight of the morning, also the usual 2 Great Crested Grebes and a single Tufted Duck on the main lake a single Pochard, Shoveler and Lesser Black-backed Gull and around 20 Tufted Duck and 4 Great Crested Grebes, not very much in the nature reserve but a few Siskin were flying around, on the gas works 2 Stock Doves and a Mistle Thrush flew over the old sewage works, also on here a Coal Tit and a couple of Collared Doves.
Nick Smith also had the Green Woodpecker calling from Prices field area.
To follow later catch up on previous weeks after getting the Internet back on line and photo's from Steve Seal.
Good count of 70 Goosander on the boating lake first thing was the highlight of the morning, also the usual 2 Great Crested Grebes and a single Tufted Duck on the main lake a single Pochard, Shoveler and Lesser Black-backed Gull and around 20 Tufted Duck and 4 Great Crested Grebes, not very much in the nature reserve but a few Siskin were flying around, on the gas works 2 Stock Doves and a Mistle Thrush flew over the old sewage works, also on here a Coal Tit and a couple of Collared Doves.
Nick Smith also had the Green Woodpecker calling from Prices field area.
To follow later catch up on previous weeks after getting the Internet back on line and photo's from Steve Seal.
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