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Kingsbury Water Park (1 Viewer)

Little Egret numbers are building in the roost on Otter pool. Wally had 22 last night and we were on 20 with at least an hour of daylight left tonight. I left Wally to come up with the final figure whilst I headed to the Dog & Doublet.

Steve
 
When I arrived at Otter Pool tonight WJE was already on 6 and as he had just arrived there was a good probability there was already more in there. Numbers grew slowly and it looked like we were going to get nowhere near the previous nights record (WJE) of 32. Then a group of 11 came in from the North followed by 5 from the South. I finally left Wally at 9pm and we were on 34 which I believe is the new Tame Valley record.

Steve
 
When I arrived at Otter Pool tonight WJE was already on 6 and as he had just arrived there was a good probability there was already more in there. Numbers grew slowly and it looked like we were going to get nowhere near the previous nights record (WJE) of 32. Then a group of 11 came in from the North followed by 5 from the South. I finally left Wally at 9pm and we were on 34 which I believe is the new Tame Valley record.

Steve

What is the WMBC regional record?
 
The highest I can remember was 31 in January at the Middleton Heronry. I don't think there have been counts anywhere else in the region approaching this.
 
KWP Otter Pool tonight - At least 26 Little Egret went into roost tonight. I arrived there relatively late and I could see one already in but there could have been several. I was also distracted by 2 Ruff that flew in from the South before they continued on their way towards Middleton. Hobby still about the pool.

Steve
 

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Little Egrets still roosting at Otter Pool and haven't switched to the Heronry at Middleton yet. Won't be long as the trees are getting bare and the numbers of Cormorants above them is increasing. WJE had 29-31 on Monday (sometimes difficult to count when birds are coming in and out and circling the trees) and I had 27 last night.

Steve
 
With Wally having Little Egret Counts of 41 & 40 at the weekend I thought I would join him tonight to see if we could push the record a little further. To cut a long story short by the time it was pitch black we had counted in 43 birds.

For those of you that are sad and lonely like myself and enjoy the odd statistic well here are a few:-

First bird in - 5.55pm
Last bird in - 6.27pm
Birds from the North (Middleton and beyond) - 33
Birds from the South (KWP) - 10
Greatest Number of birds to arrive together - 5
Number of singletons - 12

At least the birds are now ariving in the space of half an hour where previously it's been over 2 hours which is bum numbing in SITA hide.

Steve
 
Quick visit to KWP late afternoon. 2 Goosander, 2 Little Egret Cliff Pool and Barn Owl Richards Meadow. New colour ringed Cormorant in Otter Pool roost - Yellow ZF7. I suspect this is another Attenborough NR bird as we had Yellow CT7 from there last year.
 

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Perhaps I should have read the ringing guide first before making predictions. It's most likely to be a Rutland Bird as it starts in Z.

Steve
 
Great White Egret flew over Canal Pool at 5.44pm heading towards the Middleton Heronry. 2 Oystercatchers on Otter Pool and 7 Goosander over heading in the direction of their roost on North Pit. Cormorant numbers are about half that of last year with ZF7 the only ringed bird in the roost. Has there been a cull?? They are really skittish in the roost at the moment.

Steve
 
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As far as I am aware, the Park is actively moving cormorants on with an agrilaser. They are spending a lot of money on improving the fishing at the moment. I found this ...........

Sean

Thanks for the info. Still depressing that yet another so called sport has to impact on the surrounding nature reserves. Why not just stock the pools with fish that are too large for the Cormorants to eat. They can't argue that they want a self sustaining carp population as every other week the pools flood and I bet they lose the smaller fish. It looks like if these measures don't work then the cull will be increased from 2000 to 3000 birds nationally. Next it will be Little Egret and then Great Whites when they become established.

Cheers
Steve
 
No signs of Wood Sandpiper this morning at KWP and Steve A has searched Middleton and we both ended up saturated. I just wish I had taken the camera last night instead of the Wife.

On Otter Pool alone this morning were 148 Gadwall. On Cliff Pool there were 5 Little Egret and 2 Coloured Ringed Black-Headed Gulls

Yellow Ring, Black Digits - 2PDS - Adult - Probably Ringed North Thames Area

Black Ring, White Digits - 2AJF - Juvenile - Ringed Marsh Lane NR on 07/06/16

Steve
 

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Well that was a bit of a surprise. Although 2PDS was colour ringed by the North Thames Gull Group in Essex it was originally ringed as a chick in the Netherlands. See below.
 

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Tonight 14 Little Egret in the Otter Pool roost although numbers probably a lot higher as were several in there before I got in the hide. 11 Oystercatchers on the island along with a Mandarin Duck. 50 Common Tern in 3 groups flew past the hide at dusk presumably coming from Middleton to roost on KWP. If these have got nests and managed a second brood after the flooding then we should shortly see a load more chicks around.

Steve
 

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