09 October 2010

Nick Smith found the bird of the week if not the month this morning, first seen flying over at about 08.30 a Brent Goose then came into land at Westport on the main lake it's currently still present as I write this blog, a few thousand Brent's have recently arrived along the East coast and this has probably got separated from the flock, another single bird has also been found at Carsington Res in Derbys this morning.

I'm told this is the first Brent Goose at Westport for about 10 years, it spends most of it's time close to a Canada Goose on the edge of the boating ramp and near the old beach area, it was very wary and several times wanted to leave the water but wouldn't eventually it briefly went on the boating ramp and no rings where present and later it left the water near the beach area for a few minutes until some walkers passing pushed it back into the water again.

Photo's to follow shortly.

Also at Westport this morning, Nick also had a Brambling flying over.

Had a longer visit to Westport this afternoon from 15.00 - 16.55, weather was cloudy with sunny intervals with a pleasant 17c, quite a brisk easterly breeze.

A lone Tufted Duck was on the boating lake and another 60 on the main lake, the Brent Goose is still present at first it was down in the bottom left corner and later after a phone call from Nick saying someone else couldn't find it, I relocated it on the concrete feeding platform at the side of the boating ramp it then got back into the water and swam towards Ted Heath Rocks.

Just a quick photo of the Brent Goose taken with my basic digital camera, some more to follow soon from the photographers!

At least 120+ Black-headed Gulls were between the two lakes and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the main lake, the 3 'Mick Balls' as we now call them (sorry Mick no offence) are still present, one is possibly a 1st year male, just 6 Great Crested Grebes on the main lake, a single female Pochard was amongst the Tufted Ducks and 6 Mute Swans are split between the two lakes elsewhere a Little Grebe is still on the top pool in the nature reserve and a Kestrel flew over the old gas works, other than that it was very quiet with no Warblers seen or heard !