This afternoon there were seven Red-crested Pochard on the Large Gravel Pit, as well as two Little Egrets. The gull roost on the Slurry Lagoon again held the Caspian Gull as well as a flock of 267 Golden Plover and there was a pair of Pintail and a Shelduck. On the pasture field across the river there were four Pink-footed Geese and, as dusk fell, twenty-seven White-fronted Geese came to roost on the Slurry Lagoon. PS. RW.
Tag Archives: Slurry Lagoon
White-fronted Goose – 17th November
The gull roost contained the adult Caspian Gull again this afternoon. There were also over forty Golden Plover on the Slurry. The Starling roost was again attacked by a very persistant Sparrowhawk and a Kingfisher flew between the reed beds. The Cetti’s Warbler was heard in the Deep Pit. At dusk twenty-two White-fronted Geese flew in to roost on the Slurry Lagoon. RW.
Caspian Gull – 16th November
Amongst the gulls roosting on the Slurry Lagoon this afternoon an adult Caspian Gull was found, as well as a Yellow-legged Gull. There were twelve White-fronted Geese which circled the lagoon before coming down across the river to land with the goose flock. Later some of them came onto the Slurry Lagoon with the other geese to roost. Also on the Slurry Lagoon were four Pintail and two Little Egrets. The Starling roost contained at least 3,000 birds and was predated by a Sparrowhawk and a possible Merlin and at least eight Water Rails were either seen or heard. RW. PS.
Rock Pipit – 7th November
A Rock Pipit paused briefly on the Slurry Lagoon this afternoon, where there were also three Dunlins and a Little Egret and later, an adult Yellow-legged Gull. The Pintail is still on the Large Gravel Pit. RW.
Mediterranean Gull – 3rd November
The gull roost contained a first winter Mediterranean Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull this afternoon. Several Water Rails were heard or seen across the site, as were hunting Sparrowhawks. One Sparrowhawk was seen to fly into the Starling roost causing them to move across the Slurry Lagoon to another reed bed. As the light failed a massive flock of Grey-lag Geese rose unseen from the harvested maize field, where they had been feeding, to move to the Large Gravel Pit, to roost. The noise they made cackling and screeching was very impressive. RW, PS.
Little Egret – 2nd November
A Little Egret was on the Slurry Lagoon late afternoon but flew away after unsuccessfully trying to see the Lapwings off. The male Pintail is still present and he seems to commute between the Large Gravel Pit and the Slurry Lagoon. The Starling roost was spectactular again with thousands of birds gathering on two particular pylons before coming in waves to roost in the Slurry reed bed. JMD.
Starling – 31st October
As the light dimmed, at about 16.15, the Starlings began to arrive to roost. A group of about 1,000 formed and did an aerial display, then decided to have a mass bathe amongst the gull roost. Another group of about 1,000 arrived and then both groups amalgamated and smoked into the reed bed. Then lots of smaller groups of fifty to 200 birds arrived, mostly from the east and dived spectacularly into the reed beds to join the others. This carried on for about thirty minutes until I estimated about 4,500 birds were in the roost. Whilst this was happening there were echelons of Grey-lag and Canada Geese arriving to roost on the Large Gravel Pit and the numbers grew to about 1,200 Grey-lag and about 800 Canadas. On the Slurry Lagoon the gull roost reached in excess of 1,000 birds but the light did not make counting them practical. A Water Rail flew across the gap in the reed beds in front of the bench and the Cetti’s was in good voice. PS.
Brambling – 25th October
This afternoon there were two Dunlin feeding amongst the Lapwings and gull flock on the Slurry Lagoon. One Lesser Redpoll flew over and two Bramblings flew up from the hedgerow beside the Ouse Dyke. PS.
Hen Harrier – 15th October
The morning was frosty and the mist made the lagoons look like they were smoking. The geese were spectacular when they crowded into the lagoons, flying silhouetted against the mist. At about 08.15, on the Slurry Lagoon the Lapwings and Black-headed Gulls suddenly rose and flew out from the reedbeds. I looked but could see no raptor. Ten minutes later a crow gave its raptor mobbing call and there was a ringtail hen harrier, its white rump flashing as it dodged the crow. Two crows pursued the harrier aggressively and drove it off so that it left the site flying north-east, but it must have spent ten minutes in the reed bed before the crows started chasing it. There were still Skylarks trickling through with a couple of Meadow Pipits, and a flock of Siskins went over. Later three Grey Wagtails passed to the south and two Golden Plovers flew in, calling loudly. The two Pintail were still on the Slurry Lagoon and a female Golden-eye was on the Deep Pit. PS.
Golden Plover – 14th October
This morning there was lots of evidence of migration at the lagoons with a constant trickle of Skylarks flying over. One or two large flocks of Fieldfares also went through and some Redwings are already in the hawthorn hedges. A flock of thirteen Lesser Redpolls dropped onto the bushes on the Deep Pit banks and one or two Siskins are still going through. On the Slurry Lagoon the two Pintail are still present, one beginning to attain the winter plumage of a male, and the Teal and Shoveler are well into developing their winter plumages too. The Lapwing flock is building up as several small flocks came in to join them. Unlike the Lapwings a flock of 18 Golden Plover flew in but decided not to land and disappeared again over the neighbouring farmland. PS.