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

Bartley reservoir (1 Viewer)

I agree, the drop in the water level seems to have increased the potential for passage waders- a Greenshank was present along the southern shoreline this morning. Terry Hinett reported a summer-plumaged Black-Necked Grebe yesterday but no sign of the bird thus far today.

Chris
 
I agree, the drop in the water level seems to have increased the potential for passage waders- a Greenshank was present along the southern shoreline this morning. Terry Hinett reported a summer-plumaged Black-Necked Grebe yesterday but no sign of the bird thus far today.

Chris
Could n't find last night's BN grebe this morning but still common sand by the Sailing Club and the visibility overall was dreadful .In view of the weather I was not hugely surprised to find an Arctic skua was found at lunchtime.
 
Just managed to see the Arctic Skua myself. The bird spends most of its time flying high above the reservoir but I believe it may have landed on the water at least once whilst I was there. An excellent find given the challenging conditions.

Chris
 
Just managed to see the Arctic Skua myself. The bird spends most of its time flying high above the reservoir but I believe it may have landed on the water at least once whilst I was there. An excellent find given the challenging conditions.

Chris

The water level is back up, covering the inviting shingly shore line. Any passing wader now has the option of the concrete fringe.

This afternoon a juvenile little gull briefly off the dam in high winds. I called a pal and frustratingly when he arrived after 15 minutes we could n't relocate it despite a search all round the eastern perimeter.

The skua departed at 4.30pm on Thursday and just seemed to fly up and down the whole time ,so you were lucky to see it land. My pal has watched here for over 40 years and it was his 185th species at this site.
 
The water level is back up, covering the inviting shingly shore line. Any passing wader now has the option of the concrete fringe.

This afternoon a juvenile little gull briefly off the dam in high winds. I called a pal and frustratingly when he arrived after 15 minutes we could n't relocate it despite a search all round the eastern perimeter.

The skua departed at 4.30pm on Thursday and just seemed to fly up and down the whole time ,so you were lucky to see it land. My pal has watched here for over 40 years and it was his 185th species at this site.

Between Frankley church and the Waterworks are a set of fields leased by Severn Trent from the local farmer in order to complete a major construction project and as such they have been left to "re-wild" . There are a few fences which look the perfect place for a passage yellow wag or whinchat and after about a dozen visits in August with a nil return finally caught up with whinchat today. Also 3 common sands on Bartley res. My worry is that when the project is finished the land will go back to being sterile ,birdless farmland.
 
6 Shelduck were together on the bank opposite Scotland Lane this morning, and 3 Wigeon were amongst c. 50 Mallard, so autumn definitely seems to have arrived.

Chris
 
Today at Bartley, a common sand on the south side, kingfisher by the inlet , garden warbler on berries near the pool across the road from the T junction. By the waterworks construction site a kestrel ,whinchat, meadow pipit and c 10 linnet.

I saw a Kingfisher last week fly from the brook which leads up to Bartley res. It went across the Manor Farm park lake. It was flying at speed & calling. It did not stop.
Perhaps that's the route they take up to Bartley from the Rea.
 
I saw a Kingfisher last week fly from the brook which leads up to Bartley res. It went across the Manor Farm park lake. It was flying at speed & calling. It did not stop.
Perhaps that's the route they take up to Bartley from the Rea.

The brook flowing through Manor Farm park, Merritts Brook, has its source inside Frankley Waterworks not the reservoir but it is only a few hundred metres between the two sites so you could be right.
There is no stream flowing out of Bartley Res but there may have been one going north-east before the dam was built. This would wind its way through Senneley's Park towards the Bourn Brook.
 
The reservoir this morning seemed fairly quiet from Scotland Lane, with 4 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Tufted Duck, 32 Mallard and 1 Grey Heron. 7 Cormorant drifted over from the dam and circled but failed to land, eventually heading off towards Frankley. The stubble field above the reservoir opposite the Scotland Lane side held a flock of c. 108 Canada Goose- personally my highest count at Bartley. A final scan from the dam itself yielded 1 Common Sandpiper and 3 Grey Wagtail.

Chris
 
The brook flowing through Manor Farm park, Merritts Brook, has its source inside Frankley Waterworks not the reservoir but it is only a few hundred metres between the two sites so you could be right.
There is no stream flowing out of Bartley Res but there may have been one going north-east before the dam was built. This would wind its way through Senneley's Park towards the Bourn Brook.

Yes HF. Thanks & thanks for the info.
 
Canada Goose numbers seemed to peak on 23rd Sep with 116 present. Over the last few days there has only been between 35-50 but this morning 2 Greylag Goose were amongst the flock in the field.

Chris
 
Bartley Reservoir

Yes HF. Thanks & thanks for the info.

I thought the drizzle and fog might bring down something interesting so checked out Bartley this morning and could only find 5 female/imm type goosanders, my first of the autumn. Also seen today jay, pheasant, 2 pied wags and 1 grey wag both along the dam .where there was a late common sand yesterday.
 
Sparrowhawk or Merlin? St Leonard’s Church

Not directly on the reservoir but we spotted a smaller bird of prey darting over the road by St Leonard’s church on Saturday afternoon (14th).

It landed on the telegraph wires by the church and then flew down to sit on a post in the adjacent field. It was definitely not a kestrel but what caught our attention was its particularly pointed/angular wings.

We went back to look today but didn’t spot it again. We are certainly no bird experts but think it could have been a Merlin. Wondering if anyone else has seen it?
 
Not directly on the reservoir but we spotted a smaller bird of prey darting over the road by St Leonard’s church on Saturday afternoon (14th).

It landed on the telegraph wires by the church and then flew down to sit on a post in the adjacent field. It was definitely not a kestrel but what caught our attention was its particularly pointed/angular wings.

We went back to look today but didn’t spot it again. We are certainly no bird experts but think it could have been a Merlin. Wondering if anyone else has seen it?

Merlin is quite possible as at this time of year they are on the move looking for winter territories. Even if it was , it won't stop here where there are n't any flocks of skylarks/pipits/finches/buntings anywhere nearby.
 
Anyone doing the roost at Bartley over the last couple of nights as on a morning most of the gulls that fly over my garden I presume they are from the roost at Bartley.
I have had a couple of gulls I am struggling to Identify one is a very large gull flying over with LBBG 's the bird is around 30% bigger than the rest.
The second one I managed to get a good look at the underside of the gull today and it was all one colour that being white smallish compared to LBBG.
 
Anyone doing the roost at Bartley over the last couple of nights as on a morning most of the gulls that fly over my garden I presume they are from the roost at Bartley.
I have had a couple of gulls I am struggling to Identify one is a very large gull flying over with LBBG 's the bird is around 30% bigger than the rest.
The second one I managed to get a good look at the underside of the gull today and it was all one colour that being white smallish compared to LBBG.

A few people have been doing the gull roost at Bartley in the evening and in recent weeks have picked up Caspian and Mediterranean gulls, but last week they were moved on by the police who were presumably enforcing the Covid regulations so I don't know whether the birders have returned.
 
A visit to the reservoir at midday today produced a single Lapwing on the far shoreline (the water level having dropped) and a Goosander. Suprisingly no Goldeneye were to be seen.

Chris
 

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