Tag Archives: Willow Warbler

Pied Flycatcher – 12th April

April 12, 2015Recent wildlife sightings12th April, 2015, Blackcap, Boundary Hedge, Chiffchaff, Common Sandpiper, Deep Pit, Garden Warbler, House Martin, Jay, Little Ringed Plover, Pied Flycatcher, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Swallow, Willow Pond, Willow Warbler, Yellow WagtailPete Smith

This morning a lot of migrants were about and a Pied Flycatcher was found in the Boundary hedge. It later moved along the hedge to Willow Pond. There were also two Little Ringed Plovers on the Wader Scrape, two Common Terns in the Deep Pit, a Common Sandpiper on the river bank, two Yellow Wagtails on the Causeway and there were lots more warblers about including Willow, Sedge and Garden Warblers and Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. There were a few Swallows and Sand Martins and one House Martin. Also seen were a Jay and a singing Treecreeper. PS.

Pied Flycatcher in Boundary Hedge by Michael Wormall.

Sedge Warbler – 11th April

April 11, 2015Recent wildlife sightings11th April, 2015, Blackcap, Haven, Sedge Warbler, Wader Scrape, Willow Warbler, Yellow WagtailPete Smith

A Sedge Warbler was singing in the Haven this morning. There were also eight singing Willow Warblers and six singing Blackcaps. Two Oystercatchers were on the Wader Scrape. PS.

In the afternoon two Yellow Wagtails were on the Wader Scrape. SC.

Willow Warbler – 9th April

April 9, 2015Recent wildlife sightings2015, 9th April, Deep Pit, Willow WarblerPete Smith

Early this afternoon a Willow Warbler was heard singing by the Causeway in the Deep Pit. TL.

Common Scoter – 4th April

April 4, 2014Recent wildlife sightings2014, 4th April, Black-headed Gull, common scoter, Little Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Slurry Lagoon, Wader Scrape, Willow WarblerPete Smith

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.

Yellow Wagtail – 18th April

April 18, 2013Recent wildlife sightings18th April, 2013, Chiffchaff, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Lower Path, Redstart, Wader Scrape, Willow Warbler, Yellow WagtailPete Smith

Earlier this morning, two Yellow Wagtails flew south, over the site near the Wader Scrape. A Common Sandpiper was with the Little Ringed Plovers on the Wader Scrape. A male Redstart was on the Lower Path, close to the gates, as well as several Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling on the railway end of the Causeway. PS.

Sedge Warbler – 15th April

April 15, 2013Recent wildlife sightings15th April, 2013, Blackcap, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Sedge Warbler, Slurry Lagoon, Swallow, Toad, Wader Scrape, Willow WarblerPete Smith

This morning a Sedge Warbler was heard singing in the Deep Pit and several Willow Warblers were seen and heard. RW.

In the afternoon six Common Terns were in the Deep Pit and seven Little Ringed Plover were on the Wader Scrape. Four Oystercatchers flew over, calling and displaying and Swallows were seen going into the nest sites under the railway bridge. A pair of Blackcaps and five Willow Warblers were seen along the Lower Path and Toads were seen crossing it on their way to the Slurry Lagoon. PS, RW.

Black Redstart – 12th April

April 12, 2013Recent wildlife sightings12th April, 2013, Barn Owl, Black Redstart, Curlew, Deep Pit, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Sand Martin, Slurry Lagoon, Swallow, Wheatear, Willow WarblerPete Smith

This morning a female/1st summer male Black Redstart was seen on the dry end of the Slurry Lagoon. Three Wheatears were on the Severn Trent fields. Later there was a Willow Warbler singing in the Deep Pit and seven Little Ringed Plover on the Wader Scrape. RW.

In the afternoon there were two female/1st summer male Black Redstarts on the dry end of the Slurry Lagoon and five Sand Martins and a Swallow passed through. PS.

In the early evening a Curlew flew through, a Green Sandpiper was on a riverside flood and the Barn Owl was hunting over the reserve. RW.

Spotted Flycatcher – 26th August

August 26, 2012Recent wildlife sightings26th August 2012, Blackcap, Causeway, Chiffchaff, Hobby, Lesser Whitethroat, Railway Bridge, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Yellow WagtailsPete Smith

This morning in the bushes by the railway bridge a large flock of warblers and finches was feeding. Amongst them were two Spotted Flycatchers, one being chased vigorously by a juvenile Chiffchaff. There were also three more Chiffchaffs, two Lesser Whitethroats, five Whitethroats, two Blackcaps, two Willow Warblers and two Reed Warblers. The finches were family parties of Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets and Goldfinches. Two Yellow Wagtails were with finches and warblers along the Boundary Hedge and another Yellow Wagtail flew over the Causeway. At about midday a Hobby attacked the Swallows by the Railway Bridge, but was unsuccessful although it was seen to stoop several times. PS.

Warbler Walk – 9th May

May 10, 2012Uncategorized2012, 9th May, birds, Blackcap, Causeway, Cettis Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Deep Pit, Garden Warbler, House Martin, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Slurry Lagoon, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow WarblerPete Smith

After a bright sunny morning the weather clouded over and the first raindrops were felt just as three intrepid birders arrived to start the walk. By the footbridge there were Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Lesser Whitethroat, so at least the warblers were not put off by the weather.

The rain came and went in short, light showers, so the weather was not too uncomfortable, as we made our way around the south western side of the Slurry Lagoon. There were lots of birds singing, making it sometimes difficult to point out a particular species, with Dunnocks, Wrens, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins joining the singing throng. A Willow Warbler perched up nicely so that everyone could see it as it sang its sweet cadence of descending notes. More Blackcaps were singing but they were much harder to see, and another Lesser Whitethroat was rattling out its song from deep in the hawthorns. Whitethroats were heard but they were giving their ‘churring’ contact notes and the only singing bird was rather distant, so we moved on towards the Causeway, where I hoped to find Reed and Sedge Warbler.

When we arrived by the reed bed there was such a hubbub of song that again individuals were hard to pick out. Then a Sedge Warbler started to perform and its staccato notes gave us no doubt of the performer’s identity. The Reed Warblers sang much more rhythmically with a more even range of notes. None of the birds were showing as they remained deep in the dried stems of last years reeds. A Whitethroat sang briefly from the Deep Pit but gave very poor views, and the Cetti’s Warbler song exploded from the bushes at the foot of the bank several times as it made its patrol.

All of this was soon forgotten as rain brought Swifts and House Martins low and their close passes above our heads completely stole the show. They seemed to go through in waves as first there were Swifts rocketing over the Causeway at head height, and then the House Martins could be heard giving their conversational ‘prrit’ calls as thirty or so were feeding higher up. Next some Swallows came though and then it was House Martins again. During this time the Swifts kept coming though, sometimes passing between peoples’ heads and Common Terns flew between the Deep Pit and Slurry Lagoon several times, calling excitedly as they pursued one that was carrying a fish. The Swifts were so impressive that it took us a long time before we could drag ourselves away.

We walked around the Deep Pit and back along its eastern side towards the river. On the bank by the river there were two Sedge Warblers singing loudly and a good view was grabbed of a male Whitethroat. On the fence we noticed some Swallows having a rest, so we paused until they decided to continue their journey, which was not very long. We tried to identify the males from the females. Some Sand Martins were feeding in the Deep Pit and we heard their rasping ‘trrrsh’ calls as some flew over towards the river. We carried on back towards the Causeway, hearing Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps singing along the railway embankment. Back on the Causeway we struck lucky as a Garden Warbler bubbled through its repertoire as it sat on an exposed perch and everybody got good views of it. The Swifts were still performing well, so we dawdled along the Causeway, hearing the Cetti’s Warbler again. It now began to rain more seriously and so we made our way off the site. We had missed one of the warblers, so we only scored nine. The Grasshopper Warbler has only been heard once or twice, very briefly, and is possibly not even on site this year.

Warbler Walk – 9th May

May 10, 2012News2012, 9th May, Blackcap, Causeway, Cettis Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Deep Pit, Garden Warbler, House Martin, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Slurry Lagoon, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow WarblerPete Smith