07 September 2010

After the gale force winds and heavy rain overnight it was quite calm this morning, dry with cloud and the odd sunny interval, there were small branches and leaves everywhere from the storm, temp was 14c, visit from 06.15 - 07.45.

As I came in through the bottom entrance a 135 Black-headed Gulls were on the playing field, on the boating lake 2 first year Great Crested Grebes and 6 on the main lake 2 of which are juveniles, the Little Grebe was also on the boating lake as 5 Teal flew over looking like they had just come off the main lake, they gained height and headed off south, a single Mute Swan was on the boating lake with another 20 on the main lake, a single Common Sandpiper flew along the edge of the grass verge and was later seen flying along the top of the main lake, a Grey Heron also flew across the main lake, also on here 96 Tufted Duck and 5 Pochard with about 60+ House Martins and 40+ Swallows.

The wooded areas were very quiet as was the top pool, gas and sewage works, only a couple of Chiffchaffs were seen, a Great Spotted Woodpecker along the nature reserve side of the main lake and a couple of Mistle Thrushes in the trees by the visitor centre.

Late afternoon I received a call from Steve Seal telling me he had seen 3 Common Terns and a Arctic Tern at Knypersley Res and they had flown off towards Westport, I grabbed the dog and my bins and headed off in hope, although there was no sign of the Terns I noticed there seemed to be a good numbers of Tufted Ducks, this was confirmed with a count of 128, the pair of Ruddy Duck were also on the main lake and I flushed the 1st year Little Grebe from the lake edge (see above photo), a single Swift was among the Swallows and House Martins.