This afternoon a male and female Smew were seen on the Large Gravel Pit. The Bearded Tits are still in the Slurry Lagoon reed-bed and two Woodcocks were seen flying out at dusk. RW.
Tag Archives: Large Gravel Pit
Barn Owl – 12th January
This morning, during the Monthly Bird Count, a Barn Owl was seen beside the Large Gravel Pit. Three Green Sandpipers were on the Eco-Park and one was on the floooded field by the railway bridge. Also seen were two Peregrines, a Kingfisher and a Treecreeper. PS.
Barn Owl – 22nd December
This morning the Barn Owl was still out hunting over the seed-crop field. Two fine drake Goldeneye were on the Large Gravel Pit and at least three Water Rail were calling in the reed beds. PS.
Starling -16th December
This evening the Starling murmuration held about 8,000 birds. A Bearded Tit dropped in to roost, two Egyptian Geese were feeding on the Severn/Trent field beside the Boundary Hedge and a Barn Owl was hunting around the Large Gravel Pit. JMD.
Cuckoo – 21st April
This morning a Grasshopper Warbler and three Garden Warblers were singing. During the guided Walk a Cuckoo sang from the large willow by the Large Gravel Pit and two Common Terns were seen over the Deep Pit. Four Green Hairstreaks were seen, two were females laying eggs. PS
Red-crested Pochard – 13th April
The male Red-crested Pochard was back on the Large Gravel Pit this morning. A single House Martin was seen over the Slurry Lagoon and two Sedge Warblers were singing in the nearby reed bed. PS
Sedge Warbler – 11th April
This morning there were four Willow Warblers singing and a Sedge Warbler was singing at the back of the Large Gravel Pit. The site seemed to be awash with Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. PS.
Red-crested Pochard – 7th April
This morning there were still around twenty Sand Martins and a Swallow by the railway bridge. A mixed flock of Starlings and about twenty-five Fieldfares were also present. The Willow Warbler was still in the Deep Pit and a male Red-crested Pochard was on the Large Gravel Pit. PS.
Common Scoter – 27th March
This evening a female Common Scoter was seen on the Large Gravel Pit and, in failing light, a possible female Garganey was on the Slurry Lagoon. JMD.
Golden Plover – 16th December
This morning there were, as usual, good numbers of Greylag and Canada Geese and Mallards on the Slurry Lagoon, which went off to feed fairly early on. The hedgerows were full of thrushes, mostly Redwings, Blackbirds and Fieldfares. A flock of about three hundred Lapwings flew over with a flock of about fifty Golden Plovers, probably the ones from Holme Pierrepont. There were two Snipe on the Slurry Lagoon, an Egyptian Goose flew over and six Goldeneye were on the Large Gravel Pit. PS.