2 Little Egrets roosting to east of path before the first pool. 40 ish Pied Wagtails 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Peregrine over low 1 Buzzard 4 Reed Buntings Some ducks
Nice to see Tim @Tim - the 1 Egret we saw had been joined by another when I returned to the stables
-- Edited by Vaughan Evans on Saturday 21st of March 2015 06:00:04 PM
Good to see you again. 1 Little Egret was fantastic but 2 may be a new County first!
If anyone finds a grey wooly hat with a black Thinsulate lining there or elsewhere on the moss I lost one
2 Little Egrets roosting to east of path before the first pool. 40 ish Pied Wagtails 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Peregrine over low 1 Buzzard 4 Reed Buntings Some ducks
Nice to see Tim @Tim - the 1 Egret we saw had been joined by another when I returned to the stables
-- Edited by Vaughan Evans on Saturday 21st of March 2015 06:00:04 PM
House Martin 10+ Teal 3 Shoveler 1 Moorhen 8+ Willow Warbler 1 Reed Bunting 1 BH Gull 1 Garden Warbler 1 seen giving a long sub-warble in an elder bush along the Trans-Pennine path north of the ETW area.
A distinct clear out of summer migrants after last weeks gathering of warblers. But a few still around.
The same elder tree that last week held 8 Blackcaps today only held 2 (1m & 1f) plus 3 Chiffchaffs - all feasting on the berries. 2 Buzzard overhead mewing 2 Willow Tit
16.30-17.00 An interesting half hour or so that proved if you stand still the birds will come to you! I noticed some movement in an Elder tree alongside the cycle path. As I watched 8 Blackcaps (6f & 2m) were gorging on the berries in the same tree. Also with them were a couple of Chiffchaffs. There were other elder trees in the area which contained 2 Whitethroats eating berries and at least 12 more Chiffchaffs flitting around. Obviously all getting ready to migrate. Also present were 3 Willow Tits, 6 Blue Tits, 4 LT Tits, 1 Jay, 1 Mistle Thrush. Lots of other birds were calling from the surrounding brambles and trees. Overhead 10 Swallows, 4 House Martins heading south.
On the pools: 2 Snipe 20+ Lapwing 5 Teal 8 Moorhen
2 spotted flycatchers currently feeding at the back of the middle pool. 3 green sandpipers 7 shovelers 5 gadwalls 20 teal 1 whitethroat
also to add...
1 little grebe 1 pheasant 9 whitethroats 4 willow warblers 1 kestrel 1 sparrowhawk a nice tit flock was heading towards me as I was leaving heading up the path towards swiss cottage farm consisting of........ long tailed tits blue tits willow tit, heard only at least 6 willow warblers 1 chiffchaff 1 blackcap 1 goldcrest probably more in the flock. lots of house martins & swallows around.
-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 30th of August 2014 09:48:30 PM
-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 30th of August 2014 10:00:12 PM
Hi Keith. What a great site this is. As Tony's post indicates it's good for Wagtails and various other birds including Waders, but also just weeks ago it was alive with a lot of different species of Warbler, and also Ducks and other various interesting water birds, it's well worth a visit. See earlier posts :)
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 19th of August 2014 08:54:21 PM
Hi Keith, I've only just caught up with your post. Head for the re-cycling centre off Sinderland Road, turn into Woodcote Road, turn right after the bridge and park up in the lay-by just after the main entrance into the re-cycling centre. Walk back to Woodcote Road, turn right and carry on through the horse paddocks (whilst checking for various wagtails) onto the first pool. Turn right after the first pool and on to the middle pool; the access to which very overgrown. Good luck.
2 Green Sandpipers still on the middle pool, and a bit more gardening done. 6 mostly juvenile Pied Wagtails on the horse paddocks.
Elsewhere, pretty quiet including the clegs which, mercifully, were absent. Yellowhammer carrying food, Kestrel, Buzzard and a decent number of Willow Warblers plus a few Chiffchaffs flycatching behind MUFC.
-- Edited by Tony Darby on Friday 15th of August 2014 04:48:41 PM
1 adult Med Gull on middle pool perched on round metal object in the centre of the pool as of 4.35pm 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls c.40 Black-headed Gulls 1 Green Sandpiper - front pool 3 Teal
5 Green Sandpipers on middle pool - all stood next to each other 1 Sparrowhawk (m) 1 Garden Warbler - singing along the path at usual spot but remained hidden 2 Sedge Warbler - 1 singing c.40 Black headed Gull on middle pool 2 Yellowhammer
Also - butterflies included: 2 Comma, 1 Gatekeeper, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Large Skipper, 2 Small Tortoishells
A few warblers beginning to sing again. Possibly trying for a second brood?
1 Grasshopper Warbler still reeling from the overgrown bed west of cycle path but unable to see due to tall vegetation next to path. 1 Garden Warbler - also singing alongside the path but again couldn't see it. 1 Reed Warbler singing and seen 1 Sedge Warbler 3 Whitethroat 1 Bullfinch - male
unable to view middle pool due to thick undergrowth.
5.35pm 1 Hobby came racing through at full speed. I had one at exactly the same time to the minute here last Wednesday as well! Also: 1 Reed Warbler 1 Sedge Warbler 3 Blackcap 2 Whitethroat 1 Kestrel Plus an adult Long tailed Tit feeding a youngster a huge green caterpillar!
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 21st of May 2014 07:21:57 PM
0945-1015 Lots of Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting all around the mast, until a Kestrel and Buzzards perched nearby. 6 Tufted Duck pool 2 4 Gadwall pool 2 2 Coots with Chicks on both 2 & 3, also 1 on first pool.
No wagtails of any kind in Donkey paddock, Although nice to see lots of goslings.
Bullfinch m Songthrush pair Chiffchaffs
All seen on way back down path towards Danewell Woods.
Of interest: The Garden Warbler over towards the Racecourse Estate now has a partner, so hopefully there'll be a successful breeding outcome. The others around the Trans-Pennine Trail were keeping their heads down unfortunately. Beyond the recycling centre: c40 Starlings inc. c12 juvs being fed in the bushes. 5 Linnets, 1 carrying nesting material. Large numbers off common warblers still showing in the scrubland + a Grasshopper Warbler heard near the pylon. 3 pairs of Canada Geese with 20 goslings between them in the horse paddocks. 12 House Martins at the stables.
Took a chance on the Redstart, and on arriving, Steven was already on the bird. I got out of the car and he said 'I think it's a Black Redstart Rob'. I was in total agreement, the overall hue of the bird...a darkish charcoal colour with darkening around the face area. It was doing a spot of fly catching from a distant post near the filtration tanks. What a brilliant spot this was Steve, well done mate!
Other birds of note: A group of Pied Wagtails that included a striking male Yellow Wagtail and a female too. 1 Grey Wagtail. 2 Sedge Warblers. 1 Whitethroat (m). 2 Blackcap (m). Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler heard only. Plenty of Swallows. Some House and Sand Martins. 2 Swift. 1 Sparrowhawk being followed by a large flock of probably Finches/Tits. 1 Buzzard. 2 Little Grebe. A few Gadwall. 1 Oystercatcher.
No sign of the Garganey or Garden Warbler.
cheers rob, good to meet you again, i'm glad you & another chap got a look a the bird to convince me even more that it was a black redstart, the bird always looked grey. sightings much the same as robs with lots of warblers in song & I did manage to catch up with the garden warbler on my way back, watched for at least 10 mins the 2 swifts were my first of the year, 2 weeks late
Hi Rob. Yes, i thought it was a Garden Warbler, but it was very skulking- as they tend to be. Brilliant song, though! Lots of Whitethroat activity round the back of the works.
Took a chance on the Redstart, and on arriving, Steven was already on the bird. I got out of the car and he said 'I think it's a Black Redstart Rob'. I was in total agreement, the overall hue of the bird...a darkish charcoal colour with darkening around the face area. It was doing a spot of fly catching from a distant post near the filtration tanks. What a brilliant spot this was Steve, well done mate!
Other birds of note: A group of Pied Wagtails that included a striking male Yellow Wagtail and a female too. 1 Grey Wagtail. 2 Sedge Warblers. 1 Whitethroat (m). 2 Blackcap (m). Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler heard only. Plenty of Swallows. Some House and Sand Martins. 2 Swift. 1 Sparrowhawk being followed by a large flock of probably Finches/Tits. 1 Buzzard. 2 Little Grebe. A few Gadwall. 1 Oystercatcher.
Thanks a lot Andrew and Nev. If I've got this right, I should walk down the path with the pools on my right and the reeds on my left. I know that you can either carry on on this path or turn right into what I think is some scrubland - is this what you mean?
An hour and a half this morning from 9.30 to 11am, in excellent warm, sunny conditions.
No Garganey this time but I wasn't really looking, preferring to concentrate on warblers. Tanmay - Nev is spot on with his advice, but when you get to the site you will notice that there is warbler song everywhere, it's a cracking place for these birds. Follow your ears and be prepared to strain yourself looking into brambles!
Seen:
1 Garden Warbler, giving good views and singing. This one was just off the mud path around the back of the mast, flitting from the scrubland to one of the flowering trees. Another was singing on the trans pennine trail in the scrub, but I didn't glimpse that one. Sedge Warbler - several, some being showy and loud in the reeds that the mud path cuts through Whitethroat - again several and easy to see in virtually all areas Chiffchaff - several calling
Heard: Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler.
Others:
Little Grebe - a couple on Pool 1 Gadwall - on Pool 2 Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin over the pools and works. Some Swallows perched on the telephone wires near the stables giving good views. Swift - 2 or 3 seen, my first of the year Buzzard - 2 circling over the works as I was leaving Reed Bunting - 2
Nice to meet Tim Wilcox and see plenty other birders down there.