16 April 2011

The first chance I've had to get down to Westport in the mornings for a few days after a run of late shifts at work, a couple of days previously Nick had seen the first Common Sandpiper of the year but nothing much else of note over the last few days. Weather was cloudless, bright and sunny with quite a heavy dew on the grass and a light mist over the main lake, the air was still with the lake looking like a sheet of glass, temp 9c, visit from 05.55 til 08.50. As I entered the park by the bottom gate a single Swallow was flying around the old canal buildings, this was the only one I saw during the visit and was still there when I left, the 1st of at least 13 Chiffchaffs was singing by the small bottom wood at the back of the boating lake, on the boating lake the male Shoveler was present and 2 Mute Swans although these were soon chased off by the dominant male from the resident pair, the Great Crested Grebes continue to feed a rather fat looking single youngster, another 6 Great Crested Grebes were on the main lake with just 16 Tufted Ducks, but no sign of the immature Goldeneye all visit, 11 Blackcaps were heard and seen with the 1st one along the edge of the boating lake, also the 1st of 4 Bullfinches here all of them were males today, 2 Grey Herons flew over the main lake north and a single Pied Wagtail was on the grass verge, I then heard a wader calling and looking up spotted 2 Oystercatchers flying over the main lake, they attempted to land on the boating lake before flying back off north over the main lake, luckily as I was texting Nick too inform him of them he turned up and had already seen them from along the canal side of the main lake, another Westport year tick out of the way (84), the 1st of 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over the main lake all heading north, as we made our way along the main lake we flushed a Common Sandpiper from the waters edge, another Westport year tick for me (85), 2 Willow Tits were heard calling today around the nature reserve, and the highest count of Willow Warblers so far this year with 6 heard singing, just 2 Mistle Thrushes seen today around the top entrance and a single Cormorant flew north over the main lake, as I walked down along the canal side of the lake 12 Sand Martins went through and a single Herring Gull. A Common Morel'its (I think that's right) taken by Phil Jones near the old sewage works.

13 April 2011

Another cool morning 7c although not quite as bad as yesterday, wind has turned back around to southeasterly and heavy cloud with rain in the air, visit from 06.20 til 08.15.

On the boating lake the pair of Great Crested Grebes have lost there smallest young leaving just one rather fat youngster to feed, another 5 Great Crested Grebes were on the main lake, back to the boating lake and 2 Mute Swans and the male Shoveler were also present, the 1st of 8 Chiffchaffs could be heard singing, along the grass verge 2 Little Ringed Plovers were flushed by a dog walker and on the main lake just 19 Tufted Duck and single Goldeneye was seen, in all 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls went through and 12 Black-headed Gulls in groups of 3's, 4's and 5's, a single Pied Wagtail was on the grass bank and a single flew over the old gas works, 9 Blackcaps were seen around the park with just one being a female, in the nature reserve the pair of Teal were at the top end of the 2nd pool and a single Willow Tit was calling near here as was a Treecreeper, just 3 Willow Warblers were heard singing this morning, bad news from the top pool were the pair of resident Mute Swans have been nesting there had been 3 eggs in the nest but this morning they have all gone, not sure if by human hand or possibly the likes of a Mink but sad news all the same, on the old gas works 4 Swallows flew over with another 15 on the main lake later with around 20 Sand Martins, at least 3 Stock Doves were on the old gas works and a Grey Heron on the small pool here, a female Pheasant was again on the old sewage works and just as you exit here back onto the park a single Great Spotted Woodpecker and Mistle Thrush, back down by the visitor centre a couple of Starlings were feeding, it's only from now for a month or two that you actually get Starlings on the ground at Westport, also the 2 Greylag Geese had returned to the main lake.

12 April 2011

It's been a very quiet spell at Westport for the last week or so, luckily for me I've missed most of it due to work commitments, although I was down yesterday I didn't bother with the blog due to a busy day and also the lack of much of note, it's a bit depressing finding nothing going on at Westport while in other parts of the City birds like, Black Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and many others are being found, what I'd give just too have a couple of those these last few days.

Anyway today was a big change in the weather with a drop in temp to 6c from 12 yesterday, the wind has swung around to the north west and the cloud was threatening rain at times, visit from 06.15 til 08.15.

On the boating lake 2 Mute Swans were new in, Nick had found them yesterday on a brief afternoon visit, the male Shoveler was also on here and the pair of Great Crested Grebes continue to feed a couple of young, 2 Pied Wagtails were on the grass bank and a single Little Ringed Plover on the grass verge, yesterday Nick had a impressive count of 16 Great Crested Grebes on his afternoon visit, up from 11 in the morning visit, this morning just 4 were on the main lake with just 19 Tufted Duck, the resident pair of Mute Swans and the single immature male Goldeneye remains, a decent count of 11 Chiffchaffs around the park today with most being on the old sewage works and a few along the 'Avenue', a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the main lake and later while on the old gas works another went over with 3 Black-headed Gulls which are now well down in numbers with the odd one or two being seen, 3 Swallows and a single Sand Martin were on the main lake early doors but by the end of the visit both these had jumped up in numbers with at least 20 Sand Martins going through and a dozen or so Swallows, Blackcaps numbered 9 around the park with again at least 4 along the 'Avenue' and bottom wood near boating lake, a couple of single Willow Tit's were in the nature reserve area and a Treecreeper was calling in here, just 3 Willow Warblers were heard singing this morning, a single Stock Dove was in the usual place on the old gas works and the female Pheasant was flushed by the dog on the old sewage works, yesterday 2 Greylag Geese were on the main lake and with no sign early on I thought they had gone but just as I was leaving they flew into the boating lake and as I left the bottom entrance a couple of Collared Doves flew over.

07 April 2011

Very overcast with a slight drizzle later on, temp 12c with a light southwesterly breeze, visit from 06.20 til 08.50. By the bottom entrance the 1st of 8 Chiffchaffs seen around the park was singing, on the boating lake the Great Crested Grebes continue to feed at least 1 or 2 young with another 4 Great Crested Grebes on the main lake, the male Shoveler was on the boating lake, on the main lake, 30 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye, the female Mute Swan with the male on the nature reserve, a single Black-headed Gull and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull with another 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls going through later, a Sparrowhawk flew low over the grass bank and a Greylag Goose flew over the main lake, in the nature reserve a single Jay was calling, the 1st of 5 Willow Warblers was singing and 2 pairs of Blackcaps were by the top pool with another 5 around the park, on the gas works 2 Stock Doves was as good as it got, on the sewage works at least 4 Lesser Redpolls are still present a single Mistle Thrush with another 3 around other areas, back on the main lake it had gone noticeably darker and 40 Sand Martins were flying over the main lake over the next hour I managed to count at least 80+ Sand Martins plus 2 Swallows and a single House Martin, a pair of Chaffinches were by the visitor centre, 2 Pied Wagtails were on the grass bank and a single Meadow Pipit flew over here, I had a look along the 'Avenue' and had Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and a single Collared Dove. Yesterday Phil Jones had a large Red-eared Terrapin on the boating lake, this is the 1st time I've heard of them in here only previously seen them on the bottom pool in the nature reserve.

05 April 2011

While some of us were hard at work til midnight last night and then up at 07.00 for a promation interview at work, other's ie Nick Smith got the early start at Westport and didn't it just pay off for him with the 1st Osprey of the year going through at 06.40 being mobbed by Crows, also present a male Pheasant nothing special to most but at Westport, it's the 1st male since one briefly this time last year and with the female still hanging around who knows what will happen. Later in the morning Pete Lunt had the following, 44 Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, pair of Teal in the nature reserve, Swallows, 3 House Martins, Sand Martins, Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, male Goosander, Buzzard, 2 Willow Tit, the Great Crested Grebes were feeding one chick on the boating lake, 2 Bullfinches and a Reed Bunting.

04 April 2011

Slightly colder morning at 6c, much brighter with only slight cloud coverage, light southwest breeze, visit from 06.20 - 07.45. Much quieter this morning after yesterday but also a much shorter visit, the Great Crested Grebes continue to feed a unknown number of young on the boating lake with another 6 Great Crested Grebes on the main lake, a single Little Ringed Plover was on what remains of the old beach area, back on the main lake, 30 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye and the male Shoveler but no sign of the single Pochard this morning, at least 9 Chiffchaffs around the park with the largest numbers on the sewage works, a couple of Willow Warblers were singing with 1 by the sidings and 1 near the top entrance to the park, the pair of Teal were flushed from the brook by the 1st gate, a single Blackcap was further along and a pair were on the sewage works, just 1 Mute Swan on the main lake with it's partner probably around the top pool area, a Sparrowhawk flew low over the gas works twice and a Rook here was the first since January, 2 Stock Doves were on the railway gantries, a couple of Bullfinches flew over and lastly back on the main lake 7 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls went through.

Later in the morning Pete Lunt had the following, Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martin, Blackcap, 5x Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk and Goldeneye.

03 April 2011

Felt quite cold this morning despite the temp showing 7c, wind was light south, cloudy with sunny intervals, visit from 06.30 - 10.00. The pair of Mistle Thrushes remain by the bottom entrance with another pair on the sewage works and another pair near the top entrance to the park, on the boating lake the pair of Great Crested Grebe continue to feed 1 or more young, another 4 Grebes are on the main lake with 25 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard and 1 Goldeneye, while I was on the grass bank I heard Waxwings flying over and looked up to see 28 flying over high heading north east, later on Nick and myself had another 15 Waxwings heading west/northwest, this time flying much lower, back on the main lake 2 Mute Swans and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a single Cormorant flew over north and later while on the sewage works another 2 flew over heading south, a couple of Collared Doves flew over quite high, in all 9 Chiffchaffs and 9 Blackcaps were seen around various parts of the park, in the nature reserve a single Willow Tit was singing, the pair of Teal were flushed from the top of the 2nd pool and a Jay flew over the top pool were a Reed Bunting was feeding in a tall tree by the reed bed, on the gas works a group of 8 Sand Martins went over with a single House Martin, in all over 30+ Sand Martins went through during the visit with another 2 House Martins and a single Swallow, back to the gas works 3 Stock Doves and a Redpoll were flying around, on the gas works a Sparrowhawk, Pheasant and Bullfinch plus 6 Jackdaws flying over, as we came out of the sewage works by the top park entrance 3 Bramblings were calling from the top of the tall trees briefly before flying off, the 1st of 3 Willow Warblers was heard near here and a Buzzard flew low south over the main lake. While at Westport Nick received a phone call from Jeff Jones saying a Cuckoo was calling from the top of the gas works we rushed over to meet up with him but sadly it wasn't heard again. Received a call from Phil Jones this afternoon telling me a Redshank was along the spit off the boating lake, I jumped on my bike with no bins and my slippers on!! Met up with Phil exhausted but happy as he pointed the Redshank out too me, a nice finish to the day with 4 Westport year ticks and 1 Westport life tick, cheers Phil. The photo below was taken with my cameraphone using Phil's bins, not the best but at least it's a record shot.