30 May 2012

A very very quiet morning around the park, on the weather front it was a bit cooler than of late at 15c and a bit of cloud in the sky although I'm not sure we will get the thunderstorms that were promised earlier in the week, mind you looking at two websites they yet again can't decide which way the wind is blowing, one said WSW another said NW and I felt it was more like NNE, all rather confusing, only 34 species were seen this morning which just shows how quiet a visit it was, which was rather short from 06.00 til 07.30, I was hoping to be shooting off for the Orphean Warbler that had been found yesterday at Hartlepool Headland, sadly it seems to have done a overnight bunk.

Three Tufted Duck where on the boating lake first thing and just a single on the main lake, we've lost a few Mute Swans with just one on the boating lake and the usual four holding there territories, it should be fun when the cygnets hatch! Four Great Crested Grebe were on the main lake so we have lost a pair of these as well, a single Mistle Thrush was on the front of the main lake and at least c50 Swift were over the visitor centre, the Reed Warbler is still singing it's heart out by Ted Heath rock but no sign of yesterday's Sedge Warbler that Jeff Jones had seen, another two Reed Warbler were on the top pool, a couple of Black-headed Gulls went through separately, just four Chiffchaff were singing around the park with one Blackcap and still the three Garden Warbler, a Willow Tit was just after the first gate along the lake edge and Nick spotted the bird of the day a adult Kittiwake, it circled the main lake several times looking to land but gave up in the end, looking back over the Birdguides records this is the latest spring record at Westport since 2001 at least, although records before that can only be checked via the old paper way, I was rather happy with the find as it was a Westport year tick for me, putting me on 90 for the year, only other birds of interest was two Stock Doves on the old gas works.

Last day of the month tomorrow, I wonder what it will bring, if anything at all, mind you I will have to be either early or late tomorrow as the Olympic Torch is going past my house at the end of it's visit to Stoke on Trent, it passes at around 07.30 so rather early!