This morning two Egyptian Geese flew north over the site. A Barn Owl was seen flying from the box and a Lesser Redpoll was seen on the Lower Path. On the Large Gravel Pit there were fourteen Goldeneye and about 160 Pink-footed Geese flew west over the site. PS.
In the afternoon a male Bearded Tit was seen in the Slurry Lagoon reed bed, a Peregrine was on one of the pylons and another 64 Pink-footed geese flew over. RW.
This morning two Sand Martins were seen flying over the site, to the south. There were four Lesser Redpoll on the Lower Path and ten migrating Pied Wagtails were seen on the Severn/Trent fields. An Oystercatcher was on one of the tern-tables and a flock of 42 Mute Swans was grazing across the river. PS.
This morning there were ten Lesser Redpoll on birch trees at the railway end of the Deep Pit. On the Large Gravel Pit twelve Goldeneye were counted. PS.
This morning a flock of thirty Lesser Redpoll were in the birches on the north side of the Slurry Lagoon and a male and a female Stonechat were foraging around the base of the new pylon. A female Small Copper was found nectaring along the Boundary Hedge. PS.
This morning, amongst the finches along the Slurry Lagoon north path, there were at least two Bramblings. Along the Lower Path, on willow herb growing in the Typhus Pool, there was a flock of about forty Lesser Redpoll. At the water’s edge in front of the bench on the Causeway, a Jack Snipe was flushed and the Black Swan is still in residence on the Large Gravel Pit. Also a Treecreeper was seen on the old hawthorns along Willow Walk. PS.
In the evening a Barn Owl was seen over the grassland next to the Large Gravel pit. JMD.
This morning the Black Swan was still on the Large Gravel Pit. A flock of about forty Lesser Redpoll were feeding on Willow Herb and Meadowsweet along the Lower Path. At one time one with a very pale rump was briefly seen. A Woodcock was flushed from the willows in the SE corner of the reserve, at the river end of the Boundary Hedge. PS.
During the monthly bird count a Brambling was found in a flock of Chaffinches, along the Boundary Hedge. On the Lower Path the small flock of Lesser Redpolls was still about but they were hard to approach, it was not possible to be sure if the Mealy Redpoll was still with them or not. PS.
This morning a small flock of Lesser Redpolls was feeding on Willow Herb, along the Lower Path. They were all typically brownish birds except one which was predominantly grey. This bird was slightly larger than its companions and when it preened its rump it looked nearly all white and its breast was very pale with a slight pink suffusion. Views were not good enough to eliminate an Arctic Redpoll and the beak size and shape were not seen but the bird is tentatively identified as a Mealy Redpoll (Carduelis flammea). PS.
An eclipse male Goldeneye was on the river and later the Slurry Lagoon this morning. Seven Little Egrets were present briefly on the Wader Scrape, until a dog walker flushed them. Along the railway line was a small finch flock that contained two Lesser Redpoll. PS.
Six Lesser Redpoll were feeding near the Grand Staircase today and at least two Chiffchaff were again seen in the Ouse Dyke together with one Little Egret. The Slurry Lagoon is completely frozen over apart from a small area kept open by the family of Swans. JMD.