Abbeybirder
Well-known member
What can I say about this visit that other people have not said before the place is looking great with ALL the hard work done by both groups on Tuesday’s and Sunday’s, the work done from the Cuckoo hide on the flashes as really opened the place up.
Firstly, visited the Moors pools arrived around 07.15am on a slightly damp and chilly morning to be greeted by a singing Cetti’s warbler by the car park didn’t see it straight away but did get a few seconds when it flew across the car park and landed just past the gate leading to the west hide.
2 Shelducks on the North Moors pool this was the first time I have seen this species on this pool, then had another first for me a Water Rail in flight it flew from the opposite side to the car park on the pool to just infront of the car park in the clearing just on the corner was in view for around a couple of minutes before disappearing into the reeds.
While moving on to the East hide I popped into the secret garden and was mesmerized by the mass of Blue tits everywhere I looked I saw Blue tits and they were very lively with the breeding season upon us.
In the field next to Life Styles I had great views of Green Woodpecker, Redwing (16) being slightly nervous of the Jackdaws flying around into the trees just past the fence line, No sign of Fieldfare with this small flock of Redwing.
Fieldfares were seen later in a flock of mixed thrushes from the field by the car park at the Moors car park.
It was great to see Life Styles new display of Temmnick’s Tragopan and Copper Pheasants the Copper being a Lifer for me in the Captive species list I keep, had more interesting times by watching the Redpoll (7) in this area they didn’t seem to mind me being there as they moved through the tree’s opposite Life Styles.
Onto the walk towards the East hide was hoping to see the Treecreeper as I need it for a year tick but unfortunately didn’t get to see it even though I did pop back from the Flashes just before leaving will hopefully spend more time on the Moors on my next visit, Along the track I had a glimpse of a Bullfinch pair, Long Tailed Tits were very noisy as they seemed to follow me all the way to the hide.
Now from the hide the first species seen and great views of a Little grebe (6) it was swimming along the edge of the pool directly infront of the hide for a good 30 minutes, also had a good count of Shelduck (9) this includes the pair from the North Moors possible 11 birds on the reserve.
A pair of Great crested grebes were displaying just off to the right of the hide sometimes going out of sight behind the reeds, 2 Pairs of Gadwall and a single male bird were quite easy to pick up as they were out in the open water to the left of the hide.
It looked like there were Pochards everywhere I looked but in the end I counted 32 (20 males) other counts were Coot (87), Tufted duck (21), Teal (8), Shoveler (14), BHG (71) & Moorhen (8)
After leaving the hide to move towards Salwarpe Link I had a great view of a Female Siskin in the tree right on the corner of the path that leads to life styles from the east hide path it was feeding on the dead seeds and it never moved just kept eating away as if I wasn’t there at all just wished I got my camera.
On to a walk through the Salwarpe River Path this was nowhere as wet and muddy as I thought it would have been with the way the weather has been over this winter, but not too much to report but there were loads of the tit family again both Blue and Great Tits a few Blackbirds and Robins but nothing else.
Now onto the Sailing pool I was greeted by a calling Dunnock on the gate post who decided he wasn’t going to move as I passed by him, with no people on the pool It was quite busy with Great crested grebe’s (3), Chiffchaff (2), Oystercatcher (2) on raft in middle of pool, Coot (7), Mute swan (2), a flock of Lapwing flying over heading to the Flashes (11) a pair of Goldcrest in the scrub by the gate to the Flashes Pool, a pair of Ravens flew over the pool going over the cafe.
On to the Cuckoo hide now and first of all it’s great the work that has been done here opening up the area for waders and other species but today we had Teal and Black headed gulls in close to the hide, also a Kingfisher was pool diving from the dead tree to the left of the hide into the brook below it was doing this for around 5 minutes.
There were Mallard, Teal, Black headed gulls & Moorhens on the area that has been cleared to the opposite side of the pool, a single Avocet was also in this area feeding well and looking like it could be another breeding area with a bit of luck.
On to the Tower hide now with a few Avocets around (26), Black headed gull (102), Lapwing (61), Teal (7), Curlew (2), Gadwall (4), Shelduck (2), Shoveler (5) & Mute swan (2) it was a little noisier than it was on my last visit.
Firstly, visited the Moors pools arrived around 07.15am on a slightly damp and chilly morning to be greeted by a singing Cetti’s warbler by the car park didn’t see it straight away but did get a few seconds when it flew across the car park and landed just past the gate leading to the west hide.
2 Shelducks on the North Moors pool this was the first time I have seen this species on this pool, then had another first for me a Water Rail in flight it flew from the opposite side to the car park on the pool to just infront of the car park in the clearing just on the corner was in view for around a couple of minutes before disappearing into the reeds.
While moving on to the East hide I popped into the secret garden and was mesmerized by the mass of Blue tits everywhere I looked I saw Blue tits and they were very lively with the breeding season upon us.
In the field next to Life Styles I had great views of Green Woodpecker, Redwing (16) being slightly nervous of the Jackdaws flying around into the trees just past the fence line, No sign of Fieldfare with this small flock of Redwing.
Fieldfares were seen later in a flock of mixed thrushes from the field by the car park at the Moors car park.
It was great to see Life Styles new display of Temmnick’s Tragopan and Copper Pheasants the Copper being a Lifer for me in the Captive species list I keep, had more interesting times by watching the Redpoll (7) in this area they didn’t seem to mind me being there as they moved through the tree’s opposite Life Styles.
Onto the walk towards the East hide was hoping to see the Treecreeper as I need it for a year tick but unfortunately didn’t get to see it even though I did pop back from the Flashes just before leaving will hopefully spend more time on the Moors on my next visit, Along the track I had a glimpse of a Bullfinch pair, Long Tailed Tits were very noisy as they seemed to follow me all the way to the hide.
Now from the hide the first species seen and great views of a Little grebe (6) it was swimming along the edge of the pool directly infront of the hide for a good 30 minutes, also had a good count of Shelduck (9) this includes the pair from the North Moors possible 11 birds on the reserve.
A pair of Great crested grebes were displaying just off to the right of the hide sometimes going out of sight behind the reeds, 2 Pairs of Gadwall and a single male bird were quite easy to pick up as they were out in the open water to the left of the hide.
It looked like there were Pochards everywhere I looked but in the end I counted 32 (20 males) other counts were Coot (87), Tufted duck (21), Teal (8), Shoveler (14), BHG (71) & Moorhen (8)
After leaving the hide to move towards Salwarpe Link I had a great view of a Female Siskin in the tree right on the corner of the path that leads to life styles from the east hide path it was feeding on the dead seeds and it never moved just kept eating away as if I wasn’t there at all just wished I got my camera.
On to a walk through the Salwarpe River Path this was nowhere as wet and muddy as I thought it would have been with the way the weather has been over this winter, but not too much to report but there were loads of the tit family again both Blue and Great Tits a few Blackbirds and Robins but nothing else.
Now onto the Sailing pool I was greeted by a calling Dunnock on the gate post who decided he wasn’t going to move as I passed by him, with no people on the pool It was quite busy with Great crested grebe’s (3), Chiffchaff (2), Oystercatcher (2) on raft in middle of pool, Coot (7), Mute swan (2), a flock of Lapwing flying over heading to the Flashes (11) a pair of Goldcrest in the scrub by the gate to the Flashes Pool, a pair of Ravens flew over the pool going over the cafe.
On to the Cuckoo hide now and first of all it’s great the work that has been done here opening up the area for waders and other species but today we had Teal and Black headed gulls in close to the hide, also a Kingfisher was pool diving from the dead tree to the left of the hide into the brook below it was doing this for around 5 minutes.
There were Mallard, Teal, Black headed gulls & Moorhens on the area that has been cleared to the opposite side of the pool, a single Avocet was also in this area feeding well and looking like it could be another breeding area with a bit of luck.
On to the Tower hide now with a few Avocets around (26), Black headed gull (102), Lapwing (61), Teal (7), Curlew (2), Gadwall (4), Shelduck (2), Shoveler (5) & Mute swan (2) it was a little noisier than it was on my last visit.
Last edited:
john
