The weather was cold with a dusting of snow on the ground when we met at dawn to do the bird count. Four Chiffchaffs flew from the pipe where the Ouse Dyke flows from under Teal Close, where they may have been roosting. Other birds recorded included Grey Wagtail, Lesser Redpolls, Little Egrets, a Shelduck and over 400 Teal. PS.
This morning there was a flock of about 40 Redpoll on the Ouse Dyke, near the Boundary Hedge. They were feeding along the banks on the seeds of stinging nettles. Near the signal box on the railway embankment around 20 Waxwings were feeding on the far side and flying up into the ash trees. Along the Ouse Dyke, between the footbridge and Teal Close there were five Chiffchaffs. The first were two together which were normal colouring but there were then three single birds and two of them were quite pale and one was very green and showed a wing bar. All of them, however, were pumping their tails. PS.
A flock of 18 Lesser Redpoll were in the birch trees along the Ouse Dyke early afternoon. There was also a Chiffchaff and a Kingfisher was trying to fish in the muddy water of the Dyke. JMD.
This morning the results of last night’s rain were obvious as you looked along the Ouse Dyke. It had obviously burst its banks during the night but was now running high and muddy in its course. The Trent was also swollen and had spread across nearby fields. Five Little Egrets were together in the Ouse Dyke. Two Chiffchaffs were found and a Goldcrest. There were also plenty of ducks and winter thrushes about.
Later, in the afternoon, two crows chased a Barn Owl along the Ouse Dyke and into the Plantation. Three Cetti’s Warblers were heard singing and four Water Rail were squabbling in the Slurry Lagoon reed bed and a Toad was seen, crawling across the Slurry Lagoon path. PS.
A Bearded Tit was heard in the reed bed in the NE corner of the Slurry Lagoon this morning. It was later seen by another observer as it flew out into the centre of the reed bed on the dry end. There were also two Little Egrets, several Redpolls, and a Chiffchaff. Redwing and Fieldfares were also seen in small numbers. PS.
This morning in the bushes by the railway bridge a large flock of warblers and finches was feeding. Amongst them were two Spotted Flycatchers, one being chased vigorously by a juvenile Chiffchaff. There were also three more Chiffchaffs, two Lesser Whitethroats, five Whitethroats, two Blackcaps, two Willow Warblers and two Reed Warblers. The finches were family parties of Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets and Goldfinches. Two Yellow Wagtails were with finches and warblers along the Boundary Hedge and another Yellow Wagtail flew over the Causeway. At about midday a Hobby attacked the Swallows by the Railway Bridge, but was unsuccessful although it was seen to stoop several times. PS.
After a bright sunny morning the weather clouded over and the first raindrops were felt just as three intrepid birders arrived to start the walk. By the footbridge there were Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Lesser Whitethroat, so at least the warblers were not put off by the weather.
The rain came and went in short, light showers, so the weather was not too uncomfortable, as we made our way around the south western side of the Slurry Lagoon. There were lots of birds singing, making it sometimes difficult to point out a particular species, with Dunnocks, Wrens, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins joining the singing throng. A Willow Warbler perched up nicely so that everyone could see it as it sang its sweet cadence of descending notes. More Blackcaps were singing but they were much harder to see, and another Lesser Whitethroat was rattling out its song from deep in the hawthorns. Whitethroats were heard but they were giving their ‘churring’ contact notes and the only singing bird was rather distant, so we moved on towards the Causeway, where I hoped to find Reed and Sedge Warbler.
When we arrived by the reed bed there was such a hubbub of song that again individuals were hard to pick out. Then a Sedge Warbler started to perform and its staccato notes gave us no doubt of the performer’s identity. The Reed Warblers sang much more rhythmically with a more even range of notes. None of the birds were showing as they remained deep in the dried stems of last years reeds. A Whitethroat sang briefly from the Deep Pit but gave very poor views, and the Cetti’s Warbler song exploded from the bushes at the foot of the bank several times as it made its patrol.
All of this was soon forgotten as rain brought Swifts and House Martins low and their close passes above our heads completely stole the show. They seemed to go through in waves as first there were Swifts rocketing over the Causeway at head height, and then the House Martins could be heard giving their conversational ‘prrit’ calls as thirty or so were feeding higher up. Next some Swallows came though and then it was House Martins again. During this time the Swifts kept coming though, sometimes passing between peoples’ heads and Common Terns flew between the Deep Pit and Slurry Lagoon several times, calling excitedly as they pursued one that was carrying a fish. The Swifts were so impressive that it took us a long time before we could drag ourselves away.
We walked around the Deep Pit and back along its eastern side towards the river. On the bank by the river there were two Sedge Warblers singing loudly and a good view was grabbed of a male Whitethroat. On the fence we noticed some Swallows having a rest, so we paused until they decided to continue their journey, which was not very long. We tried to identify the males from the females. Some Sand Martins were feeding in the Deep Pit and we heard their rasping ‘trrrsh’ calls as some flew over towards the river. We carried on back towards the Causeway, hearing Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps singing along the railway embankment. Back on the Causeway we struck lucky as a Garden Warbler bubbled through its repertoire as it sat on an exposed perch and everybody got good views of it. The Swifts were still performing well, so we dawdled along the Causeway, hearing the Cetti’s Warbler again. It now began to rain more seriously and so we made our way off the site. We had missed one of the warblers, so we only scored nine. The Grasshopper Warbler has only been heard once or twice, very briefly, and is possibly not even on site this year.
After a bright sunny morning the weather clouded over and the first raindrops were felt just as three intrepid birders arrived to start the walk. By the footbridge there were Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Lesser Whitethroat, so at least the warblers were not put off by the weather.
The rain came and went in short, light showers, so the weather was not too uncomfortable, as we made our way around the south western side of the Slurry Lagoon. There were lots of birds singing, making it sometimes difficult to point out a particular species, with Dunnocks, Wrens, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins joining the singing throng. A Willow Warbler perched up nicely so that everyone could see it as it sang its sweet cadence of descending notes. More Blackcaps were singing but they were much harder to see, and another Lesser Whitethroat was rattling out its song from deep in the hawthorns. Whitethroats were heard but they were giving their ‘churring’ contact notes and the only singing bird was rather distant, so we moved on towards the Causeway, where I hoped to find Reed and Sedge Warbler.
When we arrived by the reed bed there was such a hubbub of song that again individuals were hard to pick out. Then a Sedge Warbler started to perform and its staccato notes gave us no doubt of the performer’s identity. The Reed Warblers sang much more rhythmically with a more even range of notes. None of the birds were showing as they remained deep in the dried stems of last years reeds. A Whitethroat sang briefly from the Deep Pit but gave very poor views, and the Cetti’s Warbler song exploded from the bushes at the foot of the bank several times as it made its patrol.
All of this was soon forgotten as rain brought Swifts and House Martins low and their close passes above our heads completely stole the show. They seemed to go through in waves as first there were Swifts rocketing over the Causeway at head height, and then the House Martins could be heard giving their conversational ‘prrit’ calls as thirty or so were feeding higher up. Next some Swallows came though and then it was House Martins again. During this time the Swifts kept coming though, sometimes passing between peoples’ heads and Common Terns flew between the Deep Pit and Slurry Lagoon several times, calling excitedly as they pursued one that was carrying a fish. The Swifts were so impressive that it took us a long time before we could drag ourselves away.
We walked around the Deep Pit and back along its eastern side towards the river. On the bank by the river there were two Sedge Warblers singing loudly and a good view was grabbed of a male Whitethroat. On the fence we noticed some Swallows having a rest, so we paused until they decided to continue their journey, which was not very long. We tried to identify the males from the females. Some Sand Martins were feeding in the Deep Pit and we heard their rasping ‘trrrsh’ calls as some flew over towards the river. We carried on back towards the Causeway, hearing Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps singing along the railway embankment. Back on the Causeway we struck lucky as a Garden Warbler bubbled through its repertoire as it sat on an exposed perch and everybody got good views of it. The Swifts were still performing well, so we dawdled along the Causeway, hearing the Cetti’s Warbler again. It now began to rain more seriously and so we made our way off the site. We had missed one of the warblers, so we only scored nine. The Grasshopper Warbler has only been heard once or twice, very briefly, and is possibly not even on site this year.
This morning was cold and overcast and did not encourage birds to sing. There were still 11 Chiffchaffs singing as well as 8 Blackcaps, 4 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a Cetti’s. Two Common Terns were pursuing each other high over the site and a Sand Martin and a House Martin were briefly seen. PS.
This morning was bright and sunny after yesterday’s rain, but the wind was very chilly. There were Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers singing. By the river and in the Slurry Lagoon reed bed there were two Sedge Warblers singing. There were two Oystercatchers along the river and over the Deep Pit and one or two Sand Martins put in an appearance. A Buzzard gave good views as it flew low over the site, landing twice in the ash trees along the railway embankment. PS.
In the afternoon a male Orange-tip was flying along the Ouse Dyke. JMD.