This afternoon, on the Slurry Lagoon there was a juvenile/1st winter Mediterranean Gull, with a white colour ring. Also present were two Greenshank, two juvenile Little Ringed Plover, two Dunlin and two Water Rail. There were either one or two Cetti’s Warblers present in the Deep Pit and a Hobby flew over. Overhead there were nine Common Buzzards flying together. RW.
All posts by Pete Smith
Spotted Flycatcher – 28th August
As we walked along the Lower Path early on this morning there were lots of warblers and tits feeding in the elderberry bushes. Near the Irish Bridge an immature Spotted Flycatcher was found and further along, near the signal box, an adult Spotted Flycatcher was also found. Then a Hobby was seen over the river which made several attempts to double back and capture one of the swallows which were harassing it. Later, as we tried to refind the flycatchers to show to some people, a Redstart chased a Chiffchaff around a hawthorn bush. All three birds were still around in the early afternoon. On the Slurry Lagoon there were five Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover . PS AE.
Pond Dipping – 7th and 10th August
The 7th August was warm but overcast and five people met at the Dipping Platform to see what we could find. We had with us a pond dipping pack from OPAL, who are organising a nation wide pond dipping survey. First we had to test the clarity of the water on a scale that OPAL had devised and then check the pH. The water was absolutely clear and the pH was neutral, so that was a good start.
We now had to dip for insects and were accorded scores against each type we found in the pond. A score of over 31 would mean the pond was very healthy. The eventual score was 68, well above the threshhold we hoped to beat. Although we didn’t manage to find a dragonfly larva we did find lots of damselfly, caddisfly,mayfly and alderfly larva. There were also water stick-insects, pond skaters, back swimmers, water boatmen, water slaters, shrimps, two types of water snail, water mites, whirligig beetles and water beetles. The star catch was a small Three-spined Loach.
Having plumbed the depths of the Small Gravel Pit we decided to give the Deep Pit a go as we expected a different fauna would be found. We were not dissapointed. First we did the water purity tests and again the water was clear and neutral. This pit lives up to its name and a foot or so from the bank you couldn’t touch the bottom. The first creatures caught were shrimps, in good numbers and most of them were mating. There were few insects on the water surface and not such a variety as in the Small Gravel Pit. As we could not trawl the bottom we did not catch many of the bottom dwelling insects, but we did manage a few water boatmen. We eventually managed a score of 38, so the pond was very healthy and we would probably have got a higher score if we could have reached the bottom as I know that damselflies breed in this pit. This pit’s highlight was a Ten-spined Stickleback, which we did not know was on the site.
On the Wednesday the weather was not so kind, in fact it was awful, pouring with rain at one point yet there were still seven people ready to brave the elements, including two little girls as we tried our luck on the Slurry Lagoon. We tested for clarity and pH again to start off. As there was a strong wind there were waves lapping at the shore and a lot of sediment was stirred up. This gave us a zero score for water clarity but I am sure on a calm day the water would be almost clear. The pH was again neutral. We did not manage to catch as many animals as in the Small Gravel Pit again but we did reach a score of 38 again, with two types of water boatmen and some tiny mussel shells. This time the highlight was a Smooth Newt tadpole, and we also caught several Three-spined Sticklebacks.
The Large Gravel Pit will have to be done another day, but we expect rich pickings will be found when we do.
Butterfly and Dragonfly Walks – 27th and 31st July
Unfortunately the weather was not very kind to us on the Wednesday walk and it remained resolutely overcast for the afternoon. However eleven people turned up and some insects were about. Gatekeepers were fairly numerous and it was possible to see males and females together, so that the males could be distinguished by their broad, dark sex brands across their forewings. A late Ringlet was found on the Lower Path along with five Peacocks and two Red Admirals. Green-veined and Small Whites were also found, but no Large Whites. Four Brown Hawkers were seen along the Lower Path and, near the river end, a male Common Blue butterfly was also seen. Several Speckled Woods were encountered along the way as well as some Common Blue damselflies. On the Causeway some Six-spot Burnets and their pupal cases were pointed out and a Shaded Broad Bar was found, Before the walk ended at the footbridge steps the chance was taken to find some Long-winged Coneheads.
The Sunday walk was a much sunnier affair, but only five people turned up. We walked along the Willow Walk and then the Lower Path to the river seeing much the same insects as before, but with the addition of a Small Tortoiseshell, two Commas and this time eight Peacocks. The highlight of the walk was finding two small colonies of Brown Argus amongst the Common Blues in the long grass of the Deep Pit banks, near the river and near the Small Gravel Pit. The salient features for distinguishing the Browns from the Blues were pointed out so that in the end we all could sort them out for ourselves. We also found a Small Skipper and Small Copper. On the Small Gravel Pit an Emperor was patrolling and several Common Blue damselflies were egg laying and three Banded Demoiselles were seen. On the way back a Latticed Heath was found and again a stop off near the top of the footbridge steps produced two Long-winged Coneheads.
Greenshank – 22nd August
This afternoon the Swallows and House Martins were gathered on the wires by the railway bridge when they all took off in alarm as a Hobby made an appearance. They all flew together and kept above and behind it, some making stoops to drive it away. The Hobby seemed unconcerned, making a couple of stoops of its own, probably at dragonflies. Suddenly the swallows were making a lot more noise and then the Hobby flew up out of its stoop with one of them in its talons. The Slurry Lagoon was a lot more peaceful with several each of Shoveler and Teal feeding on the water and a Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover on the shore and a family of Reed Warblers were feeding in the reeds. The Lesser Black-backed Gull flock contained a Herring Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull plus a couple of Common Terns and later a Greenshank called three times as it flew over the site. PS.
Red Kite – 14th August
This morning, during the monthly bird count, a Red Kite paid a visit to the site. It flew low, over the Slurry Lagoon, before gaining height and drifting away over Carlton. Some Common Terns were moving north along the Trent Valley and a Hobby was seen alarming the Swallows beside the river. There were still plenty of warblers to see, several in family parties. PS.
Whimbrel – 12th August
During the course of the afternoon three separate Whimbrels flew through the site, going south. There were also a Ringed Plover and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover on the Slurry Lagoon.The flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls contained a Yellow-legged Gull, and several Yellow Wagtails flew through. In the Deep Pit at least two, possibly four, Cetti’s Warblers were heard giving their ‘tack-tack’ alarm calls. PS.
Whimbrel – 7th August
This morning a Whimbrel flew through and there were two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper on the Slurry lagoon. Later two Snipe and another Green Sandpiper came in.
The Pond Dipping session netted several interesting creepy crawlies and included a Three-spined Loach and a Ten-spined Stickleback. PS.
Green Sandpiper – 21st July
Two Green Sandpipers flew, calling. over the site this afternoon. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were on the dry end of the slurry and a Green Sandpiper was at the back of the Slurry Lagoon. Later two more, or the same two, Green Sandpipers flew in from the fields, calling as they came. PS.
Little Ringed Plover – 20th July
A juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a Green Sandpiper showed cool nerves when a fox-cub popped out of the reed bed, directly behind them on the Slurry lagoon this afternoon. Neither looked in the least concerned, so the fox ducked back into the reeds again. PS.