18th May 2011

Although I was on late's at work last night I managed to fight my way out of bed to be down Westport this morning, and I'm rather glad I did, it was a rather strange morning with the birds on show almost taking us back to Winter, but more on that later, the weather was very cloudy with drizzle at times, wind was light from the south west, temp 15c, visit from 05.55 til 08.25.

A couple of Blackcaps were singing as I entered the park with 6 seen in total, 9 Tufted Ducks were on the main lake and Great Crested Grebes up to 9, also the resident male Mute Swan was on the lake with his partner still in the back, it was during my first scan of the main lake I picked up 3 Geese just to the left side of the lake, quite a surprise as they were Pink-footed Geese, not sure were they have come from but they were rather wary, every time they tried to make there way to the bank they got spooked and went back to the middle, eventually they reached the bank but flew off as someone walked along the edge, they landed on the playing field feeding with around 30 Canada Geese but still rather wary, below is a rather poor digi-binned shot of one of the Pink-feets.

A single Little Ringed Plover was flushed from the old beach area and went over to the boating lake, good numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls going through this morning with over 80+ seen, Swifts were at 70+ all over the top of the main lake, Canada Geese Goslings remain at 37, the second strange record of the day came as a Snipe flew over the main lake towards the nature reserve, sadly it was a all too brief view and couldn't be relocated but its a first for the year at Westport, at least 3 Reed Warblers were on the top pool, a couple of Bullfinches flew over the gas works and a single Stock Dove was on the railway gantry, on the sewage works 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Garden Warbler and 2 Jackdaws flew over, back on the main lake and a Herring Gull landed briefly with a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls as did a single Black-headed Gull, a Kestrel was again hunting over the top of the sewage works and lastly a couple of House Martins went through with the Swifts.

Below is a much better picture of the three Pink-footed Geese together on the playing field taken by Pete Lunt this afternoon.