21 June 2010

Warm start again getting very warm later, 15c, very little cloud coverage and very slight northerly breeze, visit was from 05.30 - 08.00.

The Great Crested Grebes on the model boating lake have been playing games with us, today there was clearly 3 young after only seeing 2 for the last 3 days, with 16 Great Crested Grebes on the main lake we think this breaks the record for the largest count of Grebes at Westport, a single Grey Heron was on the model boating lake, a family party of Little Ringed Plovers totalled 5 showing that they have breed locally, Mute Swans were all on the main lake totalling 33 and also 6 male and 1 female Tufted Duck, a Black-headed Gull flew over the main lake and later I had 1 flying over the old gas works, the 4 Greylag Geese were on the model boating lake and with the Canada Geese and hybrid Canada x Greylag (see attached photos) this is a first for Westport.

A total of 4 Blackcap were seen at various parts of the park, again a Chiffchaff was by the middle part of the Nature Reserve and 1 was on the old sewage works, the Treecreeper family were going through the middle of the Nature Reserve, by the top pool 2 Reed Warblers and on the sewage works 4 Whitethroats including a family party, a Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over the gas works going north, and a Reed Bunting was calling nearby, just 1 Stock Dove by the railway line and finally a Mistle Thrush was on the playing field.

Total species seen 38.