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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Hill Hook Nature Reserve (1 Viewer)

Sunday 31st March

A respectable 36 species this morning but the list of birds looks more like early January than the last day of March:

2 Mute Swan, 3 Canada Geese, Mallard, 11 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 8 Coot, 2 Moorhen, 1 Little Grebe, BH Gull, 2 LBB Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 GS Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, LT Tit, Goldcrest, 4 Nuthatch, 4 Treecreeper, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, 70+ Siskin, a few Lesser Redpoll, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw

Not a sniff of a Blackcap or Chiffchaff though.
 
Saturday 27th April

First visit for four weeks and the first since the summer migrants starte moving properly produced 36 species, including a few surprises and three site ticks:

2 Mute Swan (nesting), 1 Canada Goose, Mallard, 4+ Coot (2 nesting), 2 Moorhen, 2 Tufted Duck (pair), Buzzard, 3 LBB Gull, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove (first since September), 3 GS Woodpecker, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Chiffchaff - 6 males singing, Blackcap - 4 males singing, Willow Warbler (male singing south of Mill Pool), Reed Warbler (feeding in dead branches in the water on the east side of Mill Pool) Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest (singing), 3 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper (courtship feeding), Starling, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch
 
Monday 6th May

A quick trot through with the missus and pram in tow produced two site ticks, Garden Warbler (in the scrub of the northern section of the reserve) and Common Whitethroat in the vegetation bordering the northern part of the reserve and the field (recently tilled and sown).

No singing Willow Warbler and only one or two Chiffchaffs; Blackcap was the most numerous of the summer migrants. The Mute Swan was still sitting on the Mill Pool whilst two pairs of Tufted Duck were also present. No broods of Mallard or Coot yet.
 
Another quick wheel through of the pram produced 2 Grey Wagtail on the golf course stream just north of the reserve, a pair of Mistle Thrush and a site tick in the form of House Martin. On the Mill Pool there was a Mallard brood with 8 ducklings, the swans had at least one cygnet and a Cormorant was also present.
 
Very quiet today; several family parties of Blue Tit and Great Tit in the woods were the only items of note away from the Mill Pool. The Pool itself held 3 Greylag Geese and 5 Tufted Duck plus several broods - 1 Canada with 1 gosling, 2 Mallard with 2 + 8 ducklings, 1 Coot with 2 young and 1 Mute Swan with 4 cygnets.
 
Had several short strolls around in recent weeks. Plenty of family parties of Tits (Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed) plus young Nuthatch and GS Woody yesterday evening.

The Mill Pool had a newly emerged brood of Tufted Duck (10+ young), 4 growing cygnets and many Mallard (including several new broods). Only adult Coot were observed whilst I have been told that over-agressive "parenting" by the Mute Swans resulted in the death of the Canada Geese goslings.

Had a Raven "cronking" over my house (approx 1/4 mile from the reserve) early yesterday morning; other birds heard from the house but yet to be encounterd on the reserve include Skylark and Golden Plover.
 
Saturday 27th July

Another quick late afternoon visit with the pram - a bawling baby warned off most passerines!

The Mill Pool held 4 Coot, 1 adult Mute Swan and 3 cygnets, the female Tufted Duck and 11 ducklings, 1 Moorhen and a Grey Heron roosting on the island plus what might have been a female Shoveler on the far side of the pool.

The impending thunderstorm saw several large gulls moving overhead whilst a mixed flock of c50 House martins, Swallows and Swift (site tick) feed over the northern section.
 
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Sunday 4th August

Many family parties of tits and finches in the woods. The Mill Pond held 1 Grey Heron, 8+ Coot, 1 Moorhen, 1 Mute Swan + 4 cygnets and 3 female Tufted Duck with 7 young; judging by the difference in size I suspect there are two broods of 3 (larger) and 4 (smaller).
 
Wow! I used to work until last week in Sutton and during my lunch break would regularly go for a walk at many sites around there, ie. Sutton park, new hall valley and once went to hill hook when I found out about it.
Being new to birding, on my one visit there on a very warm mid summer day in the 6 weeks holidays and was really disappointed!
I did the circuit of the pond and didn't see anything outside of the water. I was walking a little quick, after all only an hour lunch and I don't have bin's ATM, but after my one visit I have never been back as I found I saw a lot more around Sutton park so always took a 30-40min stroll there instead!!!

Really impressed.
 
As with many woodland sites mid summer isnt the best time to visit - in the winter the Treecreepers, Nuthatches and woodpeckers are far more visible whilst mobile flocks of redpoll and Siskin roam and there is a chance of Goosander on the Mill Pond.
 
Today the Mill Pool held 87 Canada Geese, c65 Mallard, 4 Coot, 4 Moorhen (including 2 young), 3 Tufted Duck, 2 adult + 4 young Mute Swan, Grey Wagtail and Rook over.
 
First walk round in a long time, i only really use the reserve in the winter to walk my dog.

Lots and lots of birds today :t: large flocks of siskins, chaffinch and LT tits + all the usual tits. 2 Nuthatch, at least 4 tree creepers seen, a grey wagtail by the stream, jay, redwings and a group of fieldfare bathing in the water in the field by Blake Street, a couple of S hawks were seen and two Buzzards in the usual tree. Highlight for me though was a lone male goosander on the mill pond, beautiful :t:

They have done a far bit of good work on the reserve, its now possible to walk all the way around including the south side bit, but why did they take out the little bridge over the stream :( It was not to deep today, but sometimes you will not be able to cross it unless you have wellies.

Thoroughly enjoyable walk and not another person in site ...................just how i like it :king:
 
Cheers Punta - havent had a chance to venture into the woods recently; a few visits to the Mill Pond have produced the usual Tufted Duck, Little Grebe and Grey Heron on one occasion.
 
15 Tufted Duck on the Mill Pond late yesterday but no sign of any Goosander.

Male Pheasant in the field adjoining Blake Street this morning, my first for the site.
 
A late afternoon visit produced a very good count of 8 Goosander (2 males, 6 females), 8 Tufted Duck (5 males, 3 females), 2 Mute Swans, 1 LBB Gull, c15 Coot, 2 Moorhen and 30 Mallard. A surprise sighting was a male Pheasant on the drive of one of the larger houses along Hill Hook Road.
 
A visit late yesterday afternoon produced 12 Tufted Duck (with 5 distinct pairs), 10 Coot, 2 Canada Goose and 2 Mute Swan; the woods held drumming GS Woodpecker and singing Goldcrest along with many tits and finches in full song and a few lingering winter thrushes. On my way back home through Blake Street station a Raven appeared from the east and headed over the reserve. One of the volunteer notices made mention of a Great Crested Grebe present on the Mill Pool on the 22nd February.
 
A stroll round with the pram late afternoon produced a variety of singing passerines - six Blackcap, five Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest and most pleasingly, an early Garden Warbler. A Buzzard surveyed the northern section of the reserve.

The Mill Pond held 12 Tufted Duck, 11 Coot, 1 Canada Goose, a nesting pair of Mute Swan, a single Mallard chick and a third summer LBB Gull (which may account for there only being one duckling ...)
 
A mid afternoon stroll with the pram and missus produced 2 singing Common Whitethroats in the northern half of the reserve plus a fly-over Yellow Wagtail (heard only). The adjoining field looks like it wont to planted this year which may assist later in the year for say passage Whinchat or Wheatear and buntings.

The Mill Pool held 6 Tufted Duck, 2 LBB Gull, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 broods of Coot and the pair of Mute Swans, now with 6 cygnets. Singing Blackcaps outnumbered Chiffchaffs 4 to 1 whilst the Garden Warbler was still present just south of the bridge on the southern side of the pool. 3 Goldcrests also sang whilst a GS Woopecker investigated a ventilation cover of a nearby house!
 
A quick visit yesterday afternoon between the heavy showers saw the Mute Swan family still doing well with all 6 cygnets present, 3+ Coot broods and a similar number of Mallard. 10 Tufted Duck (7 males, 3 females) were also present. The woods were alive with family parties of Blue / Great / Long-tailed Tits.
 
This afternoon the Mill Pool held the Mute Swan pair with still 6 cygnets, 1 adult LBB Gull and 13 Tufted Duck (10 males and 3 females). Hopefully the imbalance means there are some sitting birds? Singing Chiffchaffs now outnumber Blackcaps (4 vs 2) in a reversal of earlier in the month whilst a Garden Warden sang in the northern section of the reserve.
 
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