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31st March 2010 - Cold, strong north-westerly wind and showers.
The highlights of the day were seven summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits which landed on Car Park Pool at about 1 p.m., and then quickly made their way onto the grass fields just north of the Reserve. They were then flushed at about 1.30 p.m. and appeared to fly back onto the pools, but I have had no further news since. Hirundines were again in and out with five Sand Martins and three Swallows early on, no hirundines at mid-day and then a further three Swallows at 1.30 p.m.
Duck numbers are dropping off, although there were still five Teal, ten Wigeon and ten Gadwall, and also four Oystercatchers. At least 30 Yellowhammers are still coming to the grain on the edge of the crop field.
Lastly, a Peregrine put in a usual brief appearance at around 1 p.m.
30th March 2010 - Periodic showers, south-westerly wind.
The majority of any hirundine migration was In the evening, with at least 12 Swallows and ten Sand Martin present. Little Ringed Plovers reached four, one of which is colour ringed and I hope to be able to provide further news on this in due course.
Redshank reached eight, there were also two Ringed Plovers and five Snipe, with a couple of Meadow Pipits also seen. The Barn Owl put in a brief appearance.
29th March 2010 - Wet most of the day, south-westerly wind.
Of the regulars, the female Goosander and the Little Egret were both seen during the day and in a spring of poor return thrush passage, 47 Fieldfares over was welcomed. Other than two Oystercatchers, at least five Redshanks and two Shelduck, there was nothing else recorded in the log.
28th March 2010 - Sunny intervals. Mild. South-westerly wind.
The regulars (excluding the Barn Owl) all showed well. The Bittern was seen on and off as usual, the Little Egret and female Goosander roosted on the Reserve, the former feeding on the river by Patrick Bridge.
Sand Martins continued to move through, with at least 20 birds, including one group of 15. A single Ringed Plover lingered for part of the day whilst the milder temperatures were sufficient for a Small Tortoiseshell to be on the wing.
27th March 2010 - Cold westerly wind, sunny intervals. Dry.
The Bittern flew off low over the crop field at 5.35 a.m., but by 6 a.m. what was presumably the same bird was back in the Reedbed, roosting to the right of the screen. It also showed well in the evening, roosting at the far end of the Reedbed near the top of the reeds.
There was a small arrival of warblers overnight with at least eight Chiffchaffs spread around the Reserve. The first Willow Warbler sang by the aeromodellers but could not be found later in the morning.
Nine Sand Martins and a Swallow were present around 9 a.m., the former rising to 15 by late morning. Departing winter thrushes have so far been scarce, so 14 Fieldfare (13 over and one on the Old Road), were noteworthy.
Waders included six Redshanks, six Oystercatchers, single Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers (both the Plovers coming and going), 29 Lapwings and at least a dozen Snipe, the latter flying off at dusk, calling loudly, presumably to feed away from the Reserve.
Most duck numbers are, predictably, falling, but Tufted Duck increased to 62 from 23 last week. Wigeon fell from 104 to 45 and other counts were two Shelduck, four Shoveler, 14 Mallard, 20 Gadwall, nine Teal and 10 Pochard. A pair of Great Crested Grebes are now regular, four Dabchicks interacted on the car park with at least one pair on each of the Reedbed and Railway Pool. 12 Mute Swans, seven Greylags, 19 Cormorant, 28 Coot, seven Moorhen and 16 Yellowhammers made up other counts.
Other birds of note included Peregrine, three Ravens, Kingfisher, a pair of Red-legged Partridges on the causeway, and Little Egret. Lots of Toads were spawning in the Dragonfly Pond.
26th March 2010 - Sun and showers, south-westerly wind.
Ten Sand Martins and three Swallows were the only migrants recorded in the log. The Barn Owl was apparently seen at 6pm but it was not recorded in the log!
25th March 2010 - Clouds slowly clearing in the morning to produce sunny periods on a mild south-westerly wind.
At least 17mm of rain fell on the nearby Stonebridge Golf Centre yesterday evening and overnight, and the Blythe was up around Patrick Farm this morning.
A pair of Swallows, I think from the stables to the south were present around 8 a.m. and two Sand Martins appeared about 9 a.m. The first Ringed Plover since the 18th was on Railway Pool, the Goosander was roosting on Railway Pool before dropping onto the River, and the first-winter Yellow-legged Gull appeared briefly. At least two Little Ringed Plovers were seen during the day.
At least one and probably two pairs of Bullfinches were along the Old Road, along with a singing Treecreeper by the top gate and a calling Green Woodpecker towards the bale store. A pair of Linnets were prospecting the causeway gorse along with at least five Goldfinches.
40 Golden Plovers flew west, just south of the Reserve, at 8.45 a.m. The regular Little Egret appeared in the morning.
24th March 2010 - South-westerly wind, showery morning, increasingly persistent rain in the late afternoon and overnight.
Both the Little Egret and female Goosander remained. Two to three Chiffchaffs at least were seen around the Reserve, but they were generally quiet and feeding up. Of the summer migrants, at least three Swallows, two Sand Martins and three Little Ringed Plovers were seen. Redshanks totalled six. The Barn Owl was seen again in the evening.
23rd March 2010 - Sunny, high cloud, south-westerly sharp overnight frost.
An early morning session was dominated by plenty of activity from breeding birds, including a singing Treecreeper by the south-west pond, and a regular calling Green Woodpecker around Oak Hide.
It was not until after 9 a.m. that hirundines appeared - two Swallows and two Sand Martins initially, and then six more Sand Martins flew through at 10.20. 100 Golden Plover flew south-west, high over Siden also at 10.30 and a Little Ringed Plover put in a brief appearance before disappearing.
A roosting female Goosander on Car Park Pool islands was somewhat unexpected. The Bittern (by the ringing channel in the Reedbed) and the Little Egret (Car Park Pool) showed well, and at least three Tree Sparrows were present and vocal by the Oak Hide feeder.
22nd March 2010 - Strong south-westerly wind and regular showers until it cleared to a sunny evening.
The regulars were all present at various times during the day. The Bittern showed regularly in the Reedbed, melting away in between, whilst the Little Egret and first-winter Yellow-legged Gull were present in the morning and the Barn Owl put on a confiding display in the evening.
Little Ringed Plovers increased to three, but they and at least thirty Snipe were dispersed by an active male Peregrine which appeared on at least two occasions in the afternoon.
A few Sand Martins again went through and the first Swallows of the year were seen at midday and again in the afternoon.
21st March 2010 - Warm, sunny, spring-like day. Southerly wind.
The significant improvement in the weather was marginally less good for birds but it was sufficiently warm for the first butterflies of the year, with Brimstone, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell all on the wing, together with a number of bumblebees.
Bird-wise, the Little Egret roosted on the Car Park Pool islands for much of the morning and was seen later on the west shore of Railway Pool.
Three to four Chiffchaffs were recorded (two to three central stream / causeway area and one by the back gate), and at least seven Sand Martins pushed through rapidly during the day, mostly in ones and twos. Yesterday’s pair of Little Ringed Plovers were again on Car Park Pool island.
A Jack Snipe showed intermittently in the small scrapes to the left (west) of Railway Hide. Other waders included about 20 Snipe, five each of Redshank and Oystercatcher, and c.30 Lapwings.
The sunny weather was excellent for Buzzards with a number of kettles of seven to eight birds (including a very smart white bird which is regularly at Packington and displays a disconcertingly white rump), displaying pairs over Siden and a maximum sky horizon count of 16 at one time.
The best of the rest included a Raven over, a Grey Wagtail north over the tip field, a Willow Tit (railway embankment), a Kingfisher (Reedbed) and a single Redpoll again in the central streamline alders.
20th March 2010 - Heavy showers in the morning, more prolonged rain p.m.
A good day by any standard started off with the Barn Owl hunting Railway Pool until 6.15 a.m., (and later in the evening), a Little Egret roosting on the same pool and the cryptic first-winter Yellow-legged Gull on Car Park Pool. The gull was present all morning, with three Herring and 23 Common Gulls also seen during the day.
The Bittern showed well on and off in the morning to the left (east) of the screen (and again in the evening), a Jack Snipe likewise in the Marsh where at least 46 mating and spawning frogs were an excellent sight. More were seen in the south-west pond, too.
Of the summer migrants, six Sand Martins appeared around Car Park Pool at just before 9 a.m., with other birds (up to four) during the day, a Chiffchaff remained by the top gate and two Little Ringed Plovers dropped into Car Park Pool briefly, just before 2 p.m.
Redshank and Dabchick both increased to seven and other counts included two Great Crested Grebes, 33 Cormorants, six Mute Swans, two each of Greylag and Canadas, 115 Wigeon, 16 Mallard, 11 Shoveler, 16 Gadwall, 11 Teal, 23 Tufted Duck, 12 Pochard, 32 Coot, 11 Moorhen, 29 Lapwing, at least 40 Snipe and 16 Pheasant, 23 Jackdaws and 26 Yellowhammers in the crop field.
The first Meadow Pipits (six) of the month and five Pied Wagtails, all around Car Park Hide plus 11 Fieldfares (over Railway Pool), and 12 Redpolls (one central stream and 11 over Patrick Farm) indicated other species were on the move.
The best of the rest included Kingfisher, seven Tree Sparrows, Grey Wagtail (Patrick Farm) and four Linnets.
19th March 2010 - Sunny intervals, warm south-westerly wind.
The best bird was a cracking summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit which unfortunately did not linger. It dropped out of the sky and coasted down towards Car Park Pool at 9.55 a.m., then went back towards Railway Pool but could not be relocated.
At least three Sand Martins were around Car Park Pool and both yesterday’s Chiffchaffs were still present (the one by the top gate showing pollen staining around the bill - see recent pictures on the Bardsey and Portland Observatory web-sites). Redshank numbers had increased to five and the first-winter Yellow-legged Gull again showed well.
18th March 2010 - Overcast, brisk southerly wind.
The first summer migrants are always special and after the first Sand Martin yesterday, the change in wind direction has had the predictable result of further arrivals today. The morning kicked off with an active and occasionally vocal Chiffchaff by the top gate, a Little Ringed Plover briefly on Railway Pool, a trickle of Sand Martins north during the morning and the added bonus of a Little Egret on Railway Pool. At least two Redshanks were also present.
Later in the day other birds of interest included another Chiffchaff on the causeway and at 6 p.m. a further nine Sand Martins through to the north. Two Ringed Plovers were seen in the evening, as was the Barn Owl. 35 Fieldfares and 12 Redwings originally on the Old Road and later on the flood plains, were the first decent counts of this spring.
A large first-winter Herring Gull, present on and off on the islands on Car Park Pool since the beginning of March, has now been re-identified as a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull courtesy of John Oates with help from Alan Dean and Dick Newell. The features include an all dark bill, smudging around the eye in a relatively square shaped head, contrast between pale grey back/scapular feathers and the brown coverts, mostly dark tertials with a white surround, long black wing tips (at rest) and black tail with a prominent white rump. I am hopeful that we will be able to produce some more information on this in the quarterly Newsletter.
17th March 2010 - High cloud generally still, very light south-westerly wind
The milder weather and slight but perceptible change in the wind to south-west was enough to bring in the first Redshank since the 6th. Three Pied Wagtails in front of Car Park Hide was small in number, but significant in that it was three more than have been present for most of the month, and is probably the first noticeable spring movement. Portland Bird Observatory had noted a trickle of Wagtails and Pipits coming in off the sea over the last few days but, as far as the Reserve is concerned, they had not yet filtered through until this morning.
A ringed Cormorant on Car Park Pool had previously been seen at the Reserve on 6th September 2008. It was ringed as a nestling on Puffin Island off Anglesea on the 23rd July 2007.
Later in the morning, a Sand Martin went through, and two Ringed Plover appeared briefly.
16th March 2010 - Sunny and mild.
A Red Kite drifted over from east to west at 9.15 a.m., and was then seen again briefly to the west of the railway so may still be in the area. The Bittern showed to the right of the screen in the late afternoon and a Raven was seen.
15th March 2010 - Sunny start, cloud building up during the day, brisk north-westerly wind.
Quite a good day all round. In the morning there were five Oystercatchers, 23 Common Gulls and a Raven and in the afternoon the Bittern proved that it had not departed by showing briefly in the Reedbed, the Barn Owl was out hunting again around the Reserve, and a very vocal Curlew was on Railway Pool.
14th March 2010 - Strong, cold north-westerly wind, sunny start with cloudy intervals from mid-morning.
The best bird of this morning was a Little Egret which moved between the pools appearing to drop onto the river at just north of the Reserve. The Peregrine was “putting the frighteners” on the birds in the afternoon.
Black-headed Gulls appear to be taking up territory on the Railway Pool islands, but numbers are difficult to identify clearly as there seems to be a continuing movement through the Reserve. At least 300 were present around 9 a.m., together with five Common Gulls, whilst four Herring Gulls and eight Lesser Black-backs went over in the same period.
An active pair of Kingfishers flew from the river over Railway Hide in the morning, and at least six Tree Sparrows were either at the Oak Hide feeder or calling by the south-west pond.
13th March 2010 - Sunny start, clouding over in the afternoon, cold north-westerly wind.
With the succession of northerly winds, a change in the weather seems to be needed to trigger spring migration. Even the Ringed Plovers have not been seen since the 7th March.
Today, the best of the action took place around dawn with the Barn Owl over Railway Pool and a separate bird seen up towards the Stonebridge roundabout. The Bittern flew over the car park going north at around 6.30 a.m., probably indicates the departure of the much appreciated over-wintering bird.
The erratic female Brambling was in the crop field in the morning, with a handful of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers, with the latter increasing to 36 during the day.
A weasel performed particularly well in and out of the rabbit burrows by the car park at about 9 a.m., near to a site where a stoat had been seen a week earlier.
The weekend waterfowl and wader count included two Great-crested Grebes, three Dabchicks, 23 Cormorants, 11 Mute Swans, five Greylags, two Canadas, four Shelduck (two pairs fighting), 167 Wigeon, seven Teal, six Gadwall, three Shoveler, 17 Mallard, 15 Pochard, 29 Tufted Duck, 37 Coot, 11 Moorhen, a Water Rail (Dragonfly Pond), 54 Lapwing, 30 Snipe and four Oystercatchers.
25 Goldfinches and a Redpoll were along the concrete road and the maximum count of Tree Sparrows today was seven.
12th March 2010 - Sun and showers, cold north-westerly wind.
The quiet spell continues, at least five pairs of Lapwings have taken up territory on Railway Pool Island ant there were an additional 37 birds roosting on the spit. Pochard numbers totalled 20 and Cormorants 33. A first-winter Great Black-backed Gull flew through at 7.45 a.m.
11th March 2010 - Cloudy start but clearing to sunny weather, cold north-easterly wind remaining.
A Raven drifted over during the morning, Tree Sparrows again totalled eight and there were seven Common Gulls on Car Park Pool with about 150 Black-headed Gulls.
10th March 2010 - Sunny morning, clouding over in the afternoon, cold north-easterly wind.
The only records today were of eight Tree Sparrows at the Oak Hide feeder, and the Barn Owl showed again in the late afternoon.
9th March 2010 - Sunny morning, clouding over from lunch-time. Light, cold north-easterly wind.
Plenty of activity, but not a great deal out of the ordinary. Six Shelduck, of which five were males, was the best count this month. At least 200 Black-headed Gulls were spread across the pools. At least ten Yellowhammers were still in the crop field with Nuthatch and two Tree Sparrows at the Oak Hide feeder.
8th March 2010 - Sunny morning clouding over late afternoon, light cold north-easterly wind.
The Bittern showed again quite well on both sides of the Reedbed and was also seen to fly across from one side to the other during the afternoon.
7th March 2010
The Bittern was seen to fly from its roost on the east side of the Reedbed to the southern end, but I am not aware that it was seen after that during the day.
The Barn Owl gave a remarkably confiding display in the late afternoon, looking absolutely terrific in the soft evening light.
Thanks to the six who attended the Work Party. A number of Elder plants were put in along the Old Road, causeway and back gate plantation, and some more planting was carried out for one of the car parks on the east side. Three enterprising and suitably apologetic young teenagers were ejected from the new hide, which is well on its way to completion, with the second hide construction starting this coming week.
I am very grateful to a number of photographers who have sent me some excellent images over the last few days, particularly of the Barn Owl. Without the photographers the Newsletters and Annual Reports would be nothing like so good. As a general point, would all those interested in seeing the Barn Owl and generally any of the birds, please make sure you stick to the paths and do not venture over the screening mound or around the Reedbed, unless accompanied by a Warden. Could photographers please not photograph the birds at the Oak Hide feeder, other than from the hide.
6th March 2010 - A misty start after some light overnight rain, cloudy morning, sunny afternoon, cold north-easterly wind.
A pair of Great-crested Grebes displaying on Railway Pool were the first of the year. The Bittern showed on and off all day, mostly down the east side of the Reedbed and, during the morning, a Little Egret appeared and was seen mostly on Car Park Pool. It disappeared later in the afternoon but flew over the Reserve from east to west and landed on the new scrapes at the end of the day.
A Peregrine was heard calling first thing and, again in the morning, a count of 28 Common Gulls was of particular note. The day’s Tree Sparrow count was nine and a Lesser Redpoll was on the central stream line. At least 16 Yellowhammers were in the crop field, one of which was in song.
The other wildfowl / waterfowl / wader counts were as follows: two Dabchicks, 31 Cormorants, one Heron, ten Mute Swans, three Greylags, two Canadas, four Shelduck, 215 Wigeon, 15 Gadwall, six Teal, 33 Mallard, seven Shoveler, 19 Pochard, 37 Tufted, three Oystercatchers, one Ringed Plover, 72 Lapwing, nine Snipe, a Redshank, 31 Coot and seven Moorhen.
Other birds of note included a singing Skylark plus two others on the tip field, and at least two pairs in the Oil Seed Rape to the east of the A452 and, just north of that, at least two pairs of Lapwing were on the former set-aside field, which I think is now set down to a spring crop.
Either the regular Barn Owl or another one was perched on top of one of the hedges, east of the A452, for at least an hour and a half in the early morning.
5th March 2010 - A sharp overnight frost, but otherwise sunny all day.
The Reedbed was mostly iced over and there was ice on much of the other two pools. A Curlew was on the tip field, briefly, and at least four T ree Sparrows were at the Oak Hide feeder. Five Shelduck was the highest so far for March.
In the late afternoon, the Bunting count increased markedly, with at least 28 Yellowhammers and ten Reed Buntings taking advantage of the spinner. The Barn Owl again showed well in the evening and the Bittern was seen to go to roost.
4th March 2010 - Sunny all day, light westerly wind.
The Barn Owl showed well again in the afternoon, but was the only bird noted in the log.
3rd March 2010 - Sunny morning, clouding over in the afternoon.
A male Stonechat showed briefly in the “scrape” field, lower Siden Hill Wood in the afternoon. Other birds included three Oystercatchers and a Redshank.
2nd March 2010 - Bright and sunny.
The Barn Owl showed well in the afternoon, and a Redshank was new in. The Bittern roosted at just after 6p.m. The Ringed Plover was present again and today’s Snipe count was 34.
1st March 2010 - Sunny.
After no sighting of the Barn Owl last night, it was out this afternoon by 3.45 p.m. and caught a mouse on the banks behind Car Park Hide. Other birds of note today included a Ringed Plover, three Oystercatchers, a Kingfisher and ten Common Gulls.
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