Saturday 31 March 2018

Saturday 31st March 2018

0930 - 1100 drizzle, water levels high, 4c : Teal 8, Pochard m, Wigeon 4, GC Grebe 4, Cormorant 4, Oystercatcher 3, LR Plover 2, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker, Jay 3, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush in song & with nesting material, Chiffchaff 4 in song, Lt Tit 4, Greenfinch m, Reed Bunting 2m in song, etc.


One of the Jays this morning.



Wednesday 28 March 2018

Wednesday 28th March 2018

1100 - 1200 drizzle, 5c : Little Ringed Plover 2, Oystercatcher 5, Lapwing 3, Little Egret, Cormorant 3, Mute Swan pair at nest, GC Grebe 3, Teal 3, Tufted 28, Goosander f, Pochard 2, Wigeon 6, Buzzard, Meadow Pipit 2 to nw, Pied Wagtail 3, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Jackdaw 12, Mistle Thrush in song, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff 2 in song, Chaffinch in song, etc.

7 Swallows and a drake Scaup were seen at Chasewater yesterday morning.





Some tree-felling has been carried out near the footpath off Wharf Approach / Westgate. Not sure why exactly, as this was a thicket utilised by Linnets & other finches for nesting (17th March).

Sunday 25 March 2018

Sunday 25th March 2018

0830 - 1100 fairly sunny 5 - 10c : another quiet morning except for hundreds of frogs spawning at the marsh, Shoveler 10, Little Egret, GC Grebe 3, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Buzzard, Jay 2 & Reed Bunting 3.





Saturday 24 March 2018

Saturday 24th March 2018

0920 - 1010 cloudy, 8c : Goosander 4, Teal 6, Pochard 6, Wigeon 10, Shoveler pair, Little Egret, Heron, Cormorant 2, GC Grebe 3, Oystercatcher 2, Bh Gull 69, Kestrel, Jay, Green Woodpecker, Redwing 19.  Kestrel & 40 Jackdaws over at dusk.


   Quick snap of a Coal Tit on 15th March, not often seen on site.

Wednesday 21 March 2018

Wednesday 21st March 2018

1100 - 1230 becoming cloudy, 7c : Little Egret, Teal 6, Wigeon 10, GC Grebe, Oystercatcher 2, Lapwing 11, Common Gull 5, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker, Redwing, Song Thrush 2.


Oystercatchers on 16th March

Monday 19 March 2018

Monday 19th March 2018

Pictured - a superb complete albino Blackbird at Rushall this morning.  The only other news was of a Snipe seen over the Daw End canal yesterday.








Saturday 17 March 2018

Saturday 17th March 2018

0930 - 1100 sleety showers, bitter nor-easterlies, 0c : Chiffchaff, Redwing 20, Kestrel 2, Bh Gull 150, Oystercatcher 2, GC Grebe 2, Pochard 5, Wigeon 8, Goosander 3, Teal 24 at floods, Cormorant 7, M.Swan 5.  During the afternoon a GBb Gull & 304 Bh Gulls were present. Also a fox was seen.

Friday 16 March 2018

Friday 16th March 2018

0830 - 1030 cloud clearing, 7c : Oystercatcher mating pair, LR Plover, Gadwall drake, Pochard 10, Wigeon 6, Teal 12, Goosander 5, GC Grebe 4, Little Egret, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard, Collared Dove 2, Stock Dove 2, Redwing 22, Greenfinch pair, Chaffinch 3, etc.





Two Redpolls at Stubbers on 14th March, and Brambling & Redpoll at Rushall on  13th March.

Thursday 15 March 2018

Thursday 15th March 2018

1115 - 1230 rain stopped, 10c : Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing 2, Little Egret, Cormorant 5, Goosander 4, Wigeon 8, Teal 6, Pochard f, GC Grebe 2, Common Gull, Buzzard 3, Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit, Lt Tit 2.




  
           Chiffchaff yesterday & Little Ringed Plover today.


Wednesday 14 March 2018

Wednesday 14th March 2018

0930 - 1230 generally cloudy, easterlies, 7c : Iceland Gull adult, Bh Gull 250+, GBb Gull adult & 2 juv, Herring Gull 3, LBb Gull 22, Cormorant 3, Mute Swan 4, GC Grebe 2, Goosander pair, Wigeon 8, Pochard 10, Teal 14, Tufted 44, Lapwing 4, Oystercatcher, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Skylark 2 over, Buzzard 2, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove 2, Long-tailed Tit 6 (one without a tail), Chiffchaff 2 at the marsh, Lesser Redpoll 8 at alders, Chaffinch, Goldfinch 2, Reed Bunting m, etc.




Iceland Gull today
 


Monday 12 March 2018

Monday 12th March 2018

1010 - 1130 rain, 7c : Pochard 13, Teal 12, GC Grebe 5, Cormorant 5, Heron, Common Gull 2, Lapwing 15, Pied Wagtail 2, Redwing 14, Greenfinch 3, Chaffinch 5.



           Goldfinch & Mistle Thrush (taken Feb. 2018).

Sunday 11 March 2018

Sunday 11th March 2018

0900 - 1145 misty start, 6 - 8c : Mute Swan 4, Cormorant 7, Pochard 6, Wigeon 10, Teal 8, Tufted 49, GC Grebe 2, Coot 27, Moorhen 5, Lapwing 27, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, LBb Gull 4, Bh Gull 80, Kestrel 2, Sparrowhawk, Meadow Pipit over, Pied Wagtail 2, Song Thrush in song, Redwing 20, Goldcrest, Greenfinch 2, Chaffinch 3 (1 in song), Bullfinch 2, Goldfinch, etc.


        Jelly Fungus today.  Don't eat it all at once.

Saturday 10 March 2018

Saturday 10th March 2018

0915 - 1030 cloudy after rain, 10c : Goosander 5, Pochard 26, Teal 4, Oystercatcher, Lapwing 28, Common Gull 9, GBb Gull, LBb Gull 3, Bh Gull 151, Herring Gull, Heron, Cormorant 10, GC Grebe, Pied Wagtail 2, Sparrowhawk f, Redwing 3, Song Thrush 2 in song, Chaffinch 2 in song, Goldfinch 8, Reed Bunting m in song at lagoon, etc.

Reed Bunting this morning.

Friday 9 March 2018

Friday 9th March 2018

1200 cloudy, 7c :  Green Sandpiper at floods with 10 Teal, 50 Bh Gulls & a few Lapwings. Tufted Duck 30 at Swan Pool.


Aerial view of Barns Lane Pool (left of centre), The Swag (yachting lake), Swan Pool, Weinerberger Quarry (top) and Ibstock Quarry (below).  The flooded field near Ibstock can be seen between the two quarries alongside the road.

Wednesday 7 March 2018

Wednesday 7th March 2018

1100 - 1230 sunny breaks, 8c : Pochard 18, Wigeon 8, Teal 2, Goosander pair, Gadwall pair, Tufted 30, Cormorant 3, Heron, Oystercatcher, Lapwing 60, Common Gull 2, Bh Gull 200, Kestrel m, Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Skylark 2 over, Jay, Stock Dove 2, Feral Pigeon 14, Lt Tit 8, Goldfinch 10.

Snow on 2nd March

Tuesday 6 March 2018

Tuesday 6th March 2018

1530 - 1600 light cloud, 8c : Goosander 10, Pochard 4, Teal, Lapwing 62, Cormorant 3, Mute Swan 4, Pied Wagtail.


                  White/black ringed Bh Gull on 25th Feb.

Monday 5 March 2018

Monday 5th March 2018

1500 - 1600 cloudy, snow melting, 8c : Wigeon 11, Teal 2, Goosander f, Oystercatcher mating pair, Lapwing 15, Caspian Gull, GBb Gull 3, Common Gull, Buzzard 2, Sparrowhawk, Rook, Stock Dove 2, Chaffinch m, etc



Fieldfare, Great Spotted Woodpecker male & Nuthatch at Rushall on 3rd March.

Sunday 4 March 2018

Sunday 4th March 2018

1400 - 1530 fog cleared, overcast then rain, 4c : Goosander f, Wigeon 4, Tufted 8, Coot 33, Moorhen 9, Mute Swan pair, GBb Gull, Common Gull 2, Bh Gull 200+, LBb Gull 55, Herring Gull 6, Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker, Fieldfare 3, Redwing 7, Song Thrush 2, Redpoll 2, Linnet 25 at quarry, Goldfinch 3, Bullfinch pair, etc (no Lapwing!).

Looking over the Weinerberger (Sandown) quarry today.

Friday 2 March 2018

Friday 2nd March 2018

1130 - 1200 cloudy, bitter easterlies, -2c : Snipe, Lapwing 20, Meadow Pipit on field with Pied Wagtail, Yellow-legged Gull adult, LBb Gull 25, Herring Gull 10, Bh Gull 300+, Common Gull 6, Heron, Moorhen 5, Coot 20, Mistle Thrush.



Fieldfare, Redpoll & Stock Dove @ Rushall 28th Feb.

Thursday 1 March 2018

Thursday 1st March 2018

No records today, but I thought I'd upload some Sparrowhawk shots taken at Rushall over the last few days :