This afternoon at least three Cuckoos were recorded on and around the sight. At the bottom of the ‘grand staircase’ on the riverside bank a small mammal was seen to cross a patch of bare earth and disappear down a hole under a plant. After some discussion it was decided that it was most likely a Wood Mouse, otherwise known as a Long-tailed Field Mouse . AE + PS.
Category Archives: Recent wildlife sightings
Banded Demoiselle – 17thMay
This afternoon a Banded Demoiselle was on riverside vegetation near the railway arch while just under the arch was an adult Grey Wagtail with two juveniles on the gravel path. AE.
Emperor Moth – 15th May – National Moth Night
A Common Sandpiper was seen on the river this evening and three to four Noctules were seen flying over the Slurry Lagoon. In the dusk a Peregrine swooped into the Deep Pit, upsetting the Common Terns, and a Soprano Pipistrelle was identified beside the river. The moth traps attracted about eleven species, which included Emperor, Lime Hawk, Waved Umber, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pebble Prominent and Mullein. PS.
Whimbrel – 14th May
A Whimbrel flew, calling, over the site this afternoon and a distant Hobby was seen. The Common Terns were very aggressively driving the Carrion Crows away from the precincts of the Deep Pit and a Turtle Dove flew very quickly through the site. One Grasshopper was reeling on the Deep Pit bank. PS.
Hobby – 4th May
A Hobby paid the Swallows by the railway bridge a brief visit this afternoon. They saw it coming and mobbed it until it flew away, all calling noisily until it went. A nearby Buzzard was similarly mobbed by a noisy Rook. A Cuckoo called from the Deep Pit posts and all the warblers except Lesser Whitethroat could be heard singing. PS.
Osprey – 3rd May
This morning an Osprey was seen flying through the site, along the river, persued by gulls. IB. Ten Garden Warblers were heard singing. PS.
In the early afternoon the female Marsh Harrier returned to the site and dropped into a reed bed. A Hobby was seen and about 200 Swifts went through. RW.
Marsh Harrier – 2nd May
This morning a female Marsh Harrier was watched for nearly an hour as it hunted over the Slurry Lagoon. It very nearly caught a Moorhen, which had to dive repeatedly to escape and was saved in the end by an angry Coot. Several times the Harrier settled in the reed bed and was still there when I left. A Cuckoo sang from the Deep Pit posts and at least three Garden Warblers were also singing. (All ten breeding species of warbler can be heard.) On the river a Common Sandpiper and two Kingfishers were seen and possibly another two were heard and the tern rafts are occupied by up to ten terns. PS.
The Marsh Harrier was still present late morning, showing very much the same behaviour as earlier, and 25 Swifts were seen. In the early afternoon a Kittiwake flew through to the east and a Whimbrel to the north east and at least 120 Swifts passed through. RW.
Whinchat – 1st May
During the afternoon a Whinchat was found adjacent to the deep pit near the pylons, a female Wheatear was perched on a post in the same area and a Cuckoo was seen. Also a Marsh Harrier flew over the slurry (JS).
Hobby – 27th April
This afternoon a Hobby sat on one of the fence posts on the east side of the Deep Pit for some time before flying low around the Deep Pit and then away over the Railway Bridge to upset all the Swallows while on the opposite side a Cuckoo was cuckooing and hopping from post to post. JMD.
Later on a Bar-tailed Godwit flew through while three Garden Warblers sang in the Deep Pit. PS.
Hobby – 26th April
This afternoon there were twelve Common Terns on the tern rafts. A flock of around fifty Swifts drifted high over the reserve and a Hobby alarmed the Swallows by the railway bridge, other raptors were two Buzzards, two Kestrels and two Sparrowhawks. There were several butterflies about, including Brimstone and Orange Tip and a Stoat was running up the Deep Pit bank, following a trail, its tail held high. PS.