Late this morning a flock of eleven Common Scoters (8 males and 3 females) settled on the Slurry Lagoon and stayed all afternoon. There were several flocks of Black-headed Gulls passing through, which included two individual Little Gulls. Willow Warblers are now singing on site and a Little Ringed Plover was on the Wader Scrape. PS, RW.
Tag Archives: Wader Scrape
Common Scoter – 4th April
Little Ringed Plover – 28th March
This morning a Little Ringed Plover was seen on the Wader Scrape. JMD. There are now several Chiffchaffs singing and the Sand Martin nesting bank has been installed in the Deep Pit.
Goldeneye – 3rd November
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.
Greenshank – 4th August
Late in the afternoon a Greenshank circled the Slurry Lagoon calling – it landed briefly only to take off again and have another fly around before heading off eastwards. A Green Sandpiper was on the edge of the Lapwings and a Little Egret was on the Wader Scrape. JMD.
Black-tailed Godwit – 2nd August
This afternoon two lovely summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits were on the Slurry Lagoon and one Little Egret was on the Wader Scrape. JMD.
Little Gull – 24th July
At the end of the Dragonfly Walk the group were passing the Deep Pit when a Little Gull was seen picking insects from the water’s surface as it flew. It was flying with Common Terns but soon decided to fly higher in search of insect prey. For a while it was hawking insects above the site but then drifted away towards the east. There were three Little Egrets on the Wader Scrape, they flew across to the National Grid site but then returned to the Wader Scrape. On the Dragonfly Walk, eight species of Dragonfly and Damselfly were seen, including an Emerald Damselfly and both Red-eyed and Small Red-eyed Damselfly. PS.
Hairy Dragonfly – 7th June
This afternoon one or perhaps two male Hairy Dragonflies were seen flying around the Gravel Pits and Willow Pond. Later a female was seen ovipositing in Willow Pond. On the Wader Scrape, three families of Little Ringed Plovers were seen. RW. PS.
Hobby – 23rd April
Early this afternoon a Hobby was seen hawking butterflies around the Large Gravel Pit and a Whimbrel settled briefly on the Wader Scrape. RW.
There were also at least five Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper on the Wader Scrape and two Common Sandpipers and two Yellow Wagtails on the river bank. Twelve Peacocks, three Green-veined Whites, three Commas, three Small Tortoiseshells and two Brimstones were also seen. PS.
Also early afternoon four Yellow Wagtails were on the Wader Scrape. JMD.
Dunlin – 22nd April
A Dunlin was on the Wader Scrape mid afternoon and at least one Little Egret still present. JMD.
White Wagtail – 19th April
This morning there were House Martins with the other hirundines over the river, along with three Common Sandpipers, and a Marsh Tit was found in the Deep Pit. In the afternoon a male Wheatear was on the field across the river and two White Wagtails were on the Wader Scrape. RW.