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Marsh Lane News - February 08
29th February 2008 - again overcast, but light rain had begun to fall by mid-morning.
At least one Oystercatcher and two Ringed Plover were present early on, and there were the Great-crested Grebes appeared to have moved from Car Park to Railway Pool. A pair of Bullfinches were present by the cottages. A Jacksnipe showed later in the marsh from Oak Hide.
Tree Works: the majority of work along the central streamline has now been finished. The tree fellers are due to return to site on Friday 7th March, and they will be concentrating on pollarding willows along the concrete road on the north-east part of the Reserve. There is one small willow still to pollard near to River Hide, which will be undertaken on that day.
28th February 2008 - generally overcast but dry.
Three Oystercatchers and a single Ringed Plover were recorded, together with Green Woodpecker, a pair of Great-crested Grebes and at least one Dabchick.
27th February 2008 - Fine and sunny, cool north westerly breeze easing as the day progressed. Cloud building in the late afternoon.
Four Ringed Plovers were present again in the morning, but none could be found in the early afternoon. There were also three Oystercatchers in the morning and five in display flight at 2 p.m., but none were visible shortly after that. A Green Sandpiper dropped in and fed in the small pool by Railway Hide at 3 p.m., and there were at least 200 Lapwings, 225 Black-headed and six Common Gulls.
A male Stonechat was fly catching by the side of Railway Hide and there was probably a migrant bird. A male Green Woodpecker that was also present there. The two female Goldeneyes were on Car Park Pool and 28 Shoveler were spread across both pools. About 40 Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers continued to feed in the crop field.
26th February 2008 - Cold blustery north-westerly wind but generally sunny.
Further tree surgery on the central streamline confined most birds to the opposite ends of the respective pools. Three Oystercatchers were present for part of the morning but only one Ringed Plover was on site. Four Ravens flew over to the west, the first recorded since January 2nd. Duck numbers are generally much lower, with no Pochards at all and only a handful of dabbling ducks (excluding the Wigeon flock). The two female Goldeneyes remain, however.
There were approximately 40 Finches and Buntings on the crop field but the wind made other small birds difficult to find.
25th February 2008 - Mostly overcast. Cold south-westerly wind. 3cm of rain overnight.
No records in the book. In a brief visit at lunchtime, the first Lapwing display was noted only two Ringed Plovers would be found.
23rd and 24th February 2008 - Mostly overcast. Westerly wind turning to the north and colder. Some showers in the afternoon of the 24th.
Ringed Plovers rose rapidly from one on the 21st to four, possibly five, on the 23rd. The two female Goldeneyes remained. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was a good find on Railway Pool on the 24th but, as usual, did not linger.
Tom Beaty ploughed the west half of the crop field in advance of seeding with mixed spring corn. This attracted 22 Jackdaws, 13 Stock Doves, eight Pied Wagtails (plus 12 more on the Railway Pool islands), eight Magpies and a Buzzard.
Other birds of note included 300 Lapwings, a Grey Wagtail, a few winter Thrushes, five Bullfinches and a migrant Stonechat along the river.
22nd February 2008 - Mild, mostly cloudy, strong westerly wind.
Ringed Plovers rose firstly to two and then to three by the end of the day. The two Goldeneyes remained and a pair of Dabchicks arrived on the reedbed pool. A count of 280 Wigeon was the highest for the month.
21st February 2008 - Grey, mild but a strong blustery westerly wind.
Muck spreading had finished by lunchtime yesterday, but the tree surgery continues today. Nevertheless, despite some disturbance, Ringed Plovers were up to two by late morning, and there were two female Goldeneyes on Car Park Pool. These birds appear to be different from the first-winter earlier in the month, and it has been a good winter for this species at the Reserve. Ten Meadow Pipits fed on the Railway Pool islands and there were probably about 50 Buntings in the crop field.
There will be no tree work over the weekend, but it will continue on Monday and I will try and keep the website updated for any further disturbance. With the muck spreading having been completed, I am hopeful that the westerly half of the crop field will be sown to spring cereals some time in the next week - just in time for the first Wheatears!
20th February 2008 - Grey, much milder light westerly.
With muck spreading taking place on the crop field and tree surgery taking place along the track to River Hide, disturbance was at a maximum and birding at a minimum. Nevertheless there was evidence of gull movement with 14 Common Gulls in with about 75 Black-heads in the morning. There were still Finches and Buntings in the field and at least one Siskin flew over. Half a dozen Meadow Pipits lingered around the car park.
As predicted, the changing to milder weather soon brought in a Ringed Plover. It was not there in the morning but was recorded at 3.30 in the afternoon.
19th February 2008
Most of the two main pools are iced up, although a few ducks have kept open small areas. Little of note to record though on the pools, but the Finch and Bunting flock continues to be quite impressive, with a count of a minimum of 73 birds and an estimate of 80 to 100. Chaffinches have dropped to approximately 20, but there are at least 40 each of Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer and still two Tree Sparrows.
18th February 2008 - Cold / sunny after heavy frosts, much icing up.
In terms of birds, little of note.
16th and 17th February 2008 - heavy overnight frosts leading to partial icing over of the pools. Sunny days.
The Goldeneye was present on the 16th, (but not on the 17th) a Water Rail showed well in the marsh on the early morning and two Lesser Redpolls fed on the central streamline. A pair of Shelduck put in an appearance, too. The Finch and Bunting flock was at similar levels to the previous few days. Snipe totalled five and Lapwings 264.
A ringing session on the 17th caught 50 birds including over 20 Reed Buntings and two Tree Sparrows, the latter roosting in the reedbed. The pair of Stonechats were seen again east of the underpass and Bullfinch pairs were vocal and visible at either end of the Old Road. The icing over of the pools has led to a lowering in duck numbers and aside from plenty of activity from breeding birds, the variety of species is similar from day to day at the moment. If the predicted change to milder weather arrives by the weekend, breeding Ringed Plovers should return and perhaps some early migrants.
14th and 15th February 2008 - generally grey, light but cold NE
The Goldeneye was present on the 14th but not much else to report on the pools. plenty of Treecreeper song from the central stream, the Old Road and the South-west pond in particular.
The Finch and Bunting flock, having fallen to 30-40 birds, was back up to over 80 this morning (15th) and Tree Sparrows were up to at least 5 at the car park feeder and 2 at Oak Hide feeder. 15 Pheasants were also in the crop field and 15 Stock Doves flew over.
PLEASE NOTE: In the week commencing 18th February (and probably on the 21st and 22nd) there will be contractors carrrying out some tree maintenance along the stream to River Hide and along the concerete road by the dragonfly pond. I apologise for the disturbance that this will cause.
13th February 2008 - sunny, light north breeze, heavy frost.
A Tree Sparrow and a Nuthatch around the Oak Hide feeder and singing Treecreepers from the central stream and east of the south-west pond. Redwing numbers staggered into double figures, with 8 by Railway Hide and 6 on the Old Road. Yellow Hammers had fallen to single figures but at least 25 Reed Buntings were present in the crop field or spread across the Reserve generally.
12th February 2008 - sunny and still after overnight frost.
Little of note.
11th February 2008 - sunny and still after overnight frost.
A female Stonechat showed on and off for much of the day around the Car Park. This bird, and the male on the 9th, could be the pair from east of the under pass but it seems more likely that they were simply returning breeders from elsewhere.
The Goldeneye remained on site and an Oystercatcher put in an appearance. There were still at least 20 Yellowhammers present in the crop field but only a single Tree Sparrow.
10th February 2008 - sunny and still.
Birds of note included an Oystercatcher, yesterday; Goldeneye and the over-wintering Common Sandpiper.
9th February 2008 - sunny and still.
The Goldeneye from the 6th reappeared, again on Car Park Pool and a Dabchick, on the Reed Bed Pool, was the first in February. Lapwing numbers were estimated at 350. A Grey Wagtail fed on the boggy piece by the underpass. Nine Meadow Pipits and five Pied Wagtails were present on the various islands.
Plenty of bird song from residents and many Tits are clearly paired up. A Stock Dove gave a display flight from the copse by the cottages and a Sky Lark sang from the grass field opposite the car park.
14 Siskins fed on the alders along the concrete road and a Lesser Redpoll showed well but briefly on the Old Road verges. A single Oystercatcher put in an appearance. A male Stonechat showed from late morning by Oak Hide.
8th February 2008 - sunny and mild.
The Finch and Bunting flock seems to have dropped to around 50 birds and Reed Buntings predominate. Ten Common Gulls were the highest counts so far this year and there were plenty of duck but no counts. 33 Cormorants was a notable number.
A Skylark was singing over the Top field and a Treecreeper sang along the central
streamline. The first Oystercatchers of the year (a pair) were seen briefly.
7th February 2008 - mostly dry and mild, but little sun.
The only records of note were a Kingfisher, seen along the river, and a mixed flock of 150 Fieldfares and Redwings along the Old Road hedges. The latter was the highest count of the year so far, and reflects a marked increase in these species, over the last few days, in the surrounding grass fields as they make their way back north.
6th February 2008 - There was some flooding on the river meadows after last night's rain, but not on the Reserve. A female Goldeneye was new in, onto Car Park Pool. Two male and a female Shelduck joined 210 Wigeon and a wide selection of other ducks at the same pool.
The Finch and Bunting flock appeared to have dropped to about 50 birds, with no sign of the Brambling but still up to five Tree Sparrows.
4th and 5th February 2008 - Sunny intervals and showers. Persistent overnight rain on the night of the 5th.
Not a great deal of change. A Willow Tit along the concrete road on the 4th was only the second for the year. Nuthatch and Treecreeper were also present there, together with Siskin and Bullfinch.
A single Golden Plover had taken up with the 300 Lapwing flock east of the A452.
3rd February 2008
The Peregrine and “Nordic” Jackdaw were seen again. The latter showed very well in the morning, on the shore opposite Car Park hide. It disappears for long periods of time and was not present in amongst at least 30 Jackdaws at Patrick Farm, in the afternoon. Six Herring Gulls also flew over.
2nd February 2008 - Hard overnight frost. Cold and sunny.
An afternoon work party saw five of us “top up” the gravel patches on the islands on Railway Pool. The white Terram had become exposed and the floods had moved some gravel about. We just finished before the noticeably longer night closed in.
On the work party, a Jack Snipe was flushed from the shore between Oak and Railway hides, 250 Starlings flew over, going to roost somewhere east of the Reserve (they seem to have abandoned the Reedbed for the time being) and a Kingfisher flew past us when we were on the islands.
The morning bird counts yielded 220 Wigeon, only five Gadwall, 64 Teal, 48 Mallard, 32 Shovelers and 23 each of Tufted and Pochard. A male Peregrine was around in the morning and both Sparrowhawk and Buzzard were also present. A Water Rail showed in the Marsh and a Little Owl in the paddock was the first record for the year. 10 Meadow Pipits, and in the late afternoon seven Pied Wagtail fed on the islands on Railway Pool. The pair of Stonechats remained east of the A452. Only a few winter Thrushes were seen (14 Redwings and one Fieldfare) but they have become more noticeable elsewhere as there is a steady and currently slow return movement. Lastly, the female Brambling was again in amongst the visitors to the car park feeder.
1st February 2008 - Continuing windy (sw). Some sun and very heavy snow and rain showers. No bird records.
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