Birding today on the reserve 8.45am till 5.10pm
Started with a slow walk around the North Moors, its vital you take your time, the birds simply fly off and double back.
Plenty of thrushes along the west side of the trail. In and around the rejuvenated north west scrub - great spotted woodpecker probed the dead logs,
bullfinch, redwing, fieldfare, song thrush and blackbirds all gorged themselves on sloe's. At the opposite end of the north moors in the SE corner, there was equally as much activity. Two water rail called, from the reeds, while a cettis warbler sang close by. In the nearby silver birch and larch trees a flock of redpoll mixed with goldfinch. Also chaffinch, goldcrest, long tailed tits, reed buntings and a blackcap were recorded.
On to the East hide of the Moors, on route more redpoll were encountered this time feeding on alders. From the hide, duck numbers were again in low numbers, only a few snipe showed. With the lack of coot, the BHG have now turned their attention to harassing pochard when they submerge.
On to the west side where, where again another slow walk, this time along the Salwarp track towards the Swan Inn. Redpoll again were the highlights, feeding low to the ground on willowherb, where also my first siskin for a while joined them. But the majority were in the alders along the river salwarp. In fact most of the species I saw were in the bank side trees. This included goldfinch, goldcrest, treecreeper, bullfinch, chaffinch, song thrush, fieldfare and redwing in good numbers. Meanwhile several flocks of northward flying herring gulls were noted, with smaller numbers of LBBG with them.
Species counts MOORS:
Little grebe, cormorant 20, Teal 60, shoveler 3 (2m + 1f), Pochard 35, tufted 40, mute swan imm, water rail c5, coot 18 - 20, lapwing 50+, snipe 5, curlew 11, herring gull 60 ish, LBBG 30, BHG 200, stock dove, great sp woodp, jay, treecreeper, fieldfare 50, redwing 70, song thrush c5 ( 1 singing east side), Cettis warbler 1 singing 1 female calling, blackcap, goldcrest 3, pied wag, greenfinch 20, bullfinch 5, goldfinch 40, redpoll 40+, siskin male, reed bunting 5,
Sailing Pool: little grebe, tufted 8, coot 16 - 18, grey wag
Flashes: For a change not just me present, good company was had with the 2 Bob's, Phil W and Paul A. We had gathered to see the Starling roost. Typically, the day an audience gathers, there was a no show, well not at the normal time. At first just a handful of birds flew around, but they quickly flew off. But then more small groups joined them and slowly the flock built up to a couple of hundred. For them then to fly off west, thankfully returning a short time later. More large flocks arrived, swelling the ranks into a tight gyrating 'ball', that performed for a good while, being added to all the time. At this point the flight was slow and relaxed, but then all of a sudden the whole flock flew off at speed to towards the sailing pool and disappeared. It wasn't for a few minutes that a flock of 80 or so returned at speed and dropped straight into the reeds. Perplexed by this action, we then realised what was going on , when a large female sparrowhawk flitted over the fence behind the reeds. Thereafter the rest of the flock returned immediately diving silently into the reeds, unusually not a murmur was heard once in the reeds.
When we first arrived there was not a bird on the 2nd or 3rd Flash, by dark it was a much more different place.
Species count at Flashes
Teal 75, Shoveler male, mallard 100, greylag 25, canada geese 10 + c80 overhead. coot 12 grazing, snipe c10 flew out, curlew 11 roosted - not coming in until after dark. Lapwing 5, BHG 230 roosted, Herring gull c30 flying north, LBBG c20, Sparrowhawk, jackdaw c400, winter thrushes 500+, starling 1200 min, redpoll c25+,
Earier 50 linnets were seen by others.
the worse ever picture, this is part of the starling flock, it was getting dark though8-P