[IanF]

Nothing much different over the week until today - the lake was mostly iced over with just a small patch of water. No sign of the Ring-necked Duck.

Still plenty of Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard & mallard etc.

Five Common Gull amongst the 30+ BH Gulls.

[IanF]

The RN Duck turned up again sometime during the week once the ice thawed as it was present yesterday and this morning. Still a little ice present.

Just a quick visit today as whilst bright and sunny it was pretty wild and windy. Tufted Duck x12, Pochard x7, Teal x1, Little Grebe x1, Gadwall x12, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard. Common Gull x8, BH Gull c.60, Herring Gull x5.

Little Egret flew over as I was heading back to the car park.

Pretty much the same as usual on the car park feeders.

[IanF]

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - 9.00-10.15am - red head Smew, RN Duck. A cross-country run was due to start at 11.00 and a red head Smew was reported at Paddy's Pool, RSPB Saltholme shortly afterwards which maybe the same bird.

Usual selection of birds in the car park including Yellowhammer x6, Tree Sparrow c.30.

[IanF]

The Smew was present this afternoon along with the Ring-necked Duck and male and female Goldeneye.

I saw a Kingfisher on three occasions flying along the reeds on the west side of the lake.

[IanF]

A visit early afternoon. Still terrible light with heavily overcast skies but at least it remained fine.

On the lake - Smew, RN Duck and Goldeneye m&f still present.

Lesser Redpoll x6 in alders between lake and railway line with small flock LTT.

Siskin c.40 landed in tall trees on west side of lake and flew off south towards visitor centre trees as did the Redpoll.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Buzzard x1 sat on fence post east side of railway.

Usual Sparrows tits and finches in the car park bushes. White-fronted Geese x140 flew over lake in two skiens heading west.

[IanF]

Just to the lake and back this morning. I couldn't manage to walk on the TBC outing but it looked to be a good number turned up for it. Several others like myself only made it as far as the lake.

Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Smew, Ring-necked Duck, Goldeneye m&f, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk. Nice to see the Canada Goose pair back again and on their island though the Mute Swan pair wouldn't leave them alone again.

A Buzzard was being mobbed by two Crows over the Sewage Works as I headed back to the car park. Presumably they flushed a Little Egret that flew over from that direction.

A Woodcock flew into the reedy area by the horse paddock. I could hear it croaking still but I couldn't spot it on the ground.

[IanF]

Pretty much the same around the last few days. The Goldeneye are a little hit and miss. It seems like they only appear every other day. No sign Friday but the male was back yesterday and today.

A morning visit today - Buzzard, Sparrowhawk dispalying, Kestrel, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Smew red head, Ring-necked Duck, Goldeneye male, Little Grebe.

A few more gulls around today maybe due to the tips being closed.

[IanF]

A few more photos from the last day or two.

[IanF]

Smew, RN Duck, Goldeneye male all showing well on the lake this afternoon.

[IanF]

Very quiet on the lake today - Smew but no sign of the RN Duck nor the Goldeneye nor Bittern. Little Grebe x3 were around. Two looked paired off.

Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Coal Tit, Reed Bunting, Bullfinch all on the car park feeders plus the usual selection of tits and finches.

[IanF]

A morning visit today. Sunny when I arrived but clouding over pretty quickly after that. At least the winds were lighter and the temperature far miler today.

Car park tables - Bullfinch x4, Yellowhammer x6, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Tree Sparrow x12, Goldfinch, Greenfinch. GSW in trees above and twice seen in trees by lake.

Heron & Sparrowhawk sunning themselves in bushes on west side of lake. Smew still present but no sign of the RN Duck. Little Grebe x2, Tufted Duck x16, Pochard x8, Gadwall x18.

[Michael A]

Called at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park 28-02-2012, i see that the small ponds have been fenced in, i can understand the fence along the top maybe for health and safety issues but all around and on top of that planting a hawthorn hedge to box it all in doesn't seem to make sense, surely when hedgeing grows it will cut out a lot of natural light. I know the ponds are recognised as breeding ponds for Grt. Crested Newts but they also are breeding ponds for a good number of Damselflies and Dragonflies.
Can anyone give a reason for this Fencing/Hedgeing?

[IanF]

I think the whole thing was done on the grounds of Health and Safety to help prevent people falling in. I think the fence has done a great job of keeping the dog walkers out as well. Several times I've seen people letting/encouraging dogs to plodge through the pools and jump in the lake by the hide.

It would be nice to think it was also done to help protect the habitat for the newts as well.

Viewing the dragonflies is going to be a problem and as you say the planted hedge seems a little odd as it will enlcose the area if it survives.

[IanF]

Pretty quiet this afternoon. A lovely sunny afternoon for a wander over to the lake and back. A little noisy though with tree felling/thinning ongoing.

Smew, LTT x12, Kestrel x2, Bullfinch x4 - all around lake area.

[IanF]

A lovely sunny afternoon though a tad windy and feeling pretty chilly in the wind.

Birds of note included - Smew, Treecreeper x2, Little Grebe x4, Shoveler x2, Gadwall x12, Cormorant.

[IanF]

A little more activity this morning. The Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs seem to be well established now with a dozen of each around the park. The CHiffchaff were evenly spread out but the Willow Warbler were mainly together in the Faith Wood area, all but one in fact which was by the hide. Blackcap x3 heard.

A male Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the tree tops by the hide calling. A Sparrowhawk was displaying by the lake when I arrived but headed off east spiraling along the line of pylon wires towards the tip. Bullfinch x4 were by the hide as well.

The lake itself looked empty but there were quite a few birds around. Tufted Duck x15, Gadwall x6, Pochard x6, Cormorant x6, Canada Goose x3, Mute Swan x2, Little Grebe x2, Mallard x8.

The only bird in the car park was the friendly Crow.

[IanF]

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - am - Sedge Warbler on the car park ponds plus Whitethroat, Wren and Linnet.

The lake was very quiet with just a few Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Gadwall, Pochard and a Cormorant. The trees and bushes around the lake were more active with several Whitethroat, Blackcap, Tree Sparrow, Blue Tit, Linnet. A Kestrel was hunting the hillside and a Cuckoo called a couple of times from the direction of the bushes alongside the railway line on the side of the hill but I didn't see it - first one I've heard this year. two Swallow and two House Martin made a brief appearance.

Walking along Claxton Beck revealed very little, likewise with the cycleway other than a few Yellowhammer and Whitethroat. A Mistle Thrush was feeding on the horse paddock.

[IanF]

I ended up back here again yesterday morning when our very own MalR came across a Nightingale back in the same area it was in last year!

It was singing plenty yesterday but not giving very good views.

Also around today Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler x1, Reed Warbler x1, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff all singing by the lake.

A very short video clip. I'd just got set up on it when it decided to move.

http://youtu.be/suvyvHB4sbw

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[FoghornKinghorn]

Originally Posted by IanF

A very short video clip. I'd just got set up on it when it decided to move.

http://youtu.be/suvyvHB4sbw

.

I love the way it conveniently flew back for you Ian.

[IanF]

The Nightingale was still singing and showing well the last two days.

Also seen Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler on the lake and another Sedge Warbler plus Grasshopper Warbler by the car park.

Last night a Great Spotted Woodpecker found the Blue Tit nest box by the hide. It was tapping on it with the adults going wild just above it. Luckily it did't get in with me stood there but it knows where it is now. I dare say it heard the young ones inside.

I arrived around 6.15pm but the Nightingale didn't show itself until 7.00pm when it began singing. It didn't stop until gone 7.30pm.

It was in view for most of that time but partially obscured. After that it dropped to the ground frequently making it's croaking call as it scuttled about. A blackbird disturbed it and it flew off towards the beckside trees returning a few minutes later to the same bush. Just before I left it did the same again without any apparent reason, returning to the bush a few minutes later.

Video clip from 10th May 2012 - http://youtu.be/W8gD-JvCjew

Video clip from 11th May 2012 - http://youtu.be/RkBdXIi56UY

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[IanF]

I spent a couple of hours wandering around the park yesterday. On the whole a pretty quiet visit.

Most notable birds were Great Spotted Woodpecker with 3+ seen and more often heard. A Reed Warbler was still sining by the lake and the Nightingale was singing on and off, often competing with two Blackcap males either side of it and a Blackbird perched above.

Also seen - Kestrel x1, Blackcap x4, Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler still singing, Garden Warbler x1. Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler on lake margins. Several Common Darter, damselfies and Orange Tip butterflies.

[IanF]

On 7th June the Nightingale was still sining at 11.40am.

The only other birds of note were a pair of Reed Warbler which appeared to be nesting where the two becks meet. Same place as they've been the last couple of years.

[IanF]

No sight/sound of the Nightingale mid-morning. It was still present yesterday.

Very little on lake - Little Grebe x1, Pochard x1, Mute Swan x1, Tufted Duck x4, Moorhen x2, Coot x2, Mallard x6.

Still plenty of singing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Wren. Grasshopper Warbler x1 reeling.

Great Spotted Woodpecker and Kestrel around lake side bushes.

[IanF]

It's been a while again since I last posted and update. I must admit that I've only been visiting about once a week and not seeing very much.

A revisit on Thursday revealed a few more birds with LTT x6, Willow Warbler and Blue and Great Tits in the bushes by the railway line. Lots of Moorhen around with 23+ on the lake plus a few Tufted Duck, Coot, Gadwall and Pochard.

Best sighting though was of two Marsh Harriers, a male and female on the field beside the railway. The male looked as if it caught something n the corn field as it was down and out for sight for around 20 minutes. It only reappeared when a female approached from the tip.

Quite a few butterflies around with dozens of Speckled Wood, a few Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Red Admiral and Whites. Very few dragonflies other than good numbers of Common Darter and damselflies. It was perhaps a little windy for hawkers to be out.

[seggs]

Excellent sightings reports and pics from your local patch Ian as ever...Keep up the good work, Its a joy to read this thread.