02 June 2010

Looking like a good morning with the fog and southerly winds, I got down early at 05.30 and stayed til 09.00, it was as I say quite foggy but dry although there was a very light shower late on, temp was 14c, but the wind very almost none existent.

Good steady numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were going over nearly all heading north, Pied Wagtails were busy along the edge of the main lake collecting food for there young and up by the old gas works a pair where feeding a couple of young that are now out of the nest, a lot of young birds are now noticeable with young Dunnocks, Coal Tits, Great Tit and Willow Tits all in the Nature Reserve, Nick did a count of the Canada Geese which totalled 186 including 41 youngsters, the 2x Greylag Geese where again on the playing field with a number of Canada Geese, on the model boating lake I watched the Great Crested Grebes feeding a single youngster, it's possible there are more but I couldn't see any, also another x6 Great Crested Grebes were on the main lake with a pair having a nest containing 2 eggs, again by the Ted Heath rock a male Reed Bunting was singing from the trees along with one at the top pool, a single Little Ringed Plover was running along the beach area feeding and 2x Tufted Ducks were on the ramp again, Mute Swans have dropped slightly in numbers from a few days ago with x11 on the main lake and the 2 on the top pool with there youngster, a single Chiffchaff was singing from the middle of the Nature Reserve and 2 were on the old sewage works, again the Great Spotted Woodpecker was flying between the Nature Reserve and the canal side, still unable to locate any sign of a nest or young, and a Kestrel flew across the main lake and went over the old sewage works hovering for mice etc.
Blackcaps have gone quiet now as they settle down to nesting but 2 where singing along the 'Avenue' and one on the top pool, only a handful of Swifts, House Martins and Swallows were seen over the main lake, I think the bulk have now gone through, also on the beach area a single Grey Wagtail was feeding, Whitethroat numbers have dropped like Blackcaps but again probably due to breeding now in full swing, 1 was in the Nature Reserve and 3 on the old sewage works, with a single Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler, on the old gas works just 2x Stock Doves were seen and back by the top pool just 2x Reed Warblers but I think there is easily double that number.

In total 43 species seen.