This morning was very quiet at the lagoons, with very few ducks on the Slurry Lagoon. There was a female Pochard on the Deep Pit and a female Goosander flew over. The Large Gravel Pit did slightly better with some Wigeon and some Goldeneye, including a splendid male. There were plenty of Redwing about and even a few Fieldfares put in an appearance. PS.
Half of the Slurry Lagoon was under ice this morning. There were a few Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler but mostly there were Black-headed Gulls with a few Herring and Common Gulls. The Marsh Harrier showed several times as it hunted over the reed-beds but it and a Buzzard were mobbed by crows as they looked for a meal. Two Egyptian Geese flew into the Deep Pit and a confiding Green Woodpecker was seen digging for ants. PS.
Marsh Harrier PS.
Green Woodpecker PS.
This morning, during the Bird Count, four Spoonbills flew over the site towards the SW. There were more Wigeon arriving and still some warblers about, with Chiffchaffs still abundant, but also some Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroats and a Reed Warbler. Robins could be heard singing all over the site but Wrens and Dunnocks were keeping silent and hardly recorded. PS.
This morning the two Ruff and the Greenshank had been joined by a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and there was briefly a Wigeon, all on the Slurry Lagoon. The male Marsh Harrier was seen a few times as it popped out of or dropped into the reed-bed. There was a fairly strong passage of Sand and House Martins and small groups of assorted warblers were in the bushes. The reeds in front of the Causeway benches have been cut, so there were several views of scuttling Water Rails. PS.
Juvenile Water Rail – Jason Vickers
This morning, as the sun rose, two cream-top Marsh Harriers were seen leaving their roost in the Slurry Lagoon reed-bed. There were at least 50 Wigeon on the Slurry Lagoon and later two Bearded Reedlings flew across in front of the bench. Two Redpoll flew over and, along the Pylon Path, first a Brambling, then about 80 Redwing flew over.
This morning a male Pintail was on the Slurry Lagoon . Over-night some additional Shoveler and Wigeon had also arrived. PS.
Pintail Jason Vickers.
This morning large numbers of Hirundines, mostly Swallows, were feeding low over the water bodies. A small number of winter ducks have already arrived, including Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal and a Great White Egret payed a brief visit. PS.
This morning 18 Common Snipe were circling over the Slurry Lagoon reed-bed before dropping in. A flock of 16 Lapwings flew over the Deep Pit and there were seven species of duck on the Slurry Lagoon, including Pochard, Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon. Later two pairs of Egyptian Geese stopped off on the Slurry Lagoon for a bathe. PS.
A female Pintail was on the Slurry Lagoon this morning, feeding with the Wigeon. A female Peregrine flew low over the site from the new pylon and several large flocks of Fieldfares flew over, some dropping into the Hawthorn bushes. Still a few Siskins going through, and some Common Darters about. PS.
This morning a Hobby was seen over the Slurry Lagoon. There was also a light passage of Swallows and House Martins and two Wigeon flew in. There were some large flocks of small birds containing Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. PS