28th Apr 2024: Swift and Whinchat

Another slightly quieter week and a bitterly cold and wet end to the week, but a few good birds to keep the interest up.

On Monday John saw our first Swift of the year and possibly a few more passing through the day with 2 and 4 seen at different times later in the day. There was also 3 Yellow Wagtails, White Wagtail, Peregrine and a Common Sandpiper.

Ian found another Wheatear on Tuesday, with 2 Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpiper and Swift.

Wednesday morning I was lucky enough to see what I assume is the same Grey Partridge John found last week. Difficult to spot by the troughs in the cattle field and disappearing into the ditch. There was also 3-4 Lesser Whitethroats that day. 

A Whinchat was found by Kirsty yesterday and there was also 2 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.

This morning there was a very brief (few minute) visit from another Arctic Tern. There was also the Whinchat still, Swift and a White Wagtail (Clive), Yellow Wagtail (Adrian T), 2 Common Sandpipers, c.60 Sand Marin, c.80 Swallow and smaller number of House Martins.

21st Mar 2024: GREY PARTRIDGE?!

The start of the week delivered some more good quality birds, but with the wind switching to mostly northerlies and (mostly) clear skies this week was a bit quieter.

Monday started off with Ian finding a Sandwich Tern, which like the previous weeks' Kittiwakes and Arctic Terns it didn't hang around long. There was also Common Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.

I had an Osprey fly through Tuesday morning that, being harassed by gulls and corvids, flew north-west pretty quickly. There was also another Redstart along the river, a singing male this time. In the evening John found an absolute patch mega, a Grey Partridge! in the cattle field. This is such a scarce bird locally now and a very odd record for the reservoir, with the last one (that I know of) being from February 1995. 

From the middle to the end of the week it was much quieter but there were 2 Common Sandpipers most days, hirundines around, and a few Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats. Today there was a Lesser Whitethroat up by the Borrow Pit pool and a Siskin over the wood.

Partridge courtesy and copyright of JFT

14th Apr 2024: Kittiwakes and Arctic Terns

A really good week on patch with the outstanding highlights being 2 Kittiwakes found by Ian on Tuesday morning and 2 Arctic Terns found by JFT in the evening on the same day. This is possibly the first record of multiple Kittiwakes for the patch. 

Other highlights were Mistle Thrush, Sedge Warbler, and Wheatear all new for the year on Monday, as well as a male Redstart and Common Sandpiper still. 

On Tuesday there was a male Redstart still, a Peregrine over, a Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.

On Wednesday Ian had a Curlew over and there was 2 Common Sandpipers, Redstart, Yellow Wagtail, and several Willow Warblers.

Thursday the first Whitethroat of the year was seen, a Redstart still, a Yellow Wagtail over, Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper. 

A Grasshopper Warbler just to the north of the woodland (heard from the canal towpath) was new for the year on Saturday, but otherwise quiet except for a good number of butterflies.

Today Mark had the same, or another, Grasshopper Warbler in one of the fields between the reservoir and the M40, and the first Lesser Whitethroat of the year. There was also 4 Lesser Redpolls over, Siskin over, and at least 4 Sedge Warblers and 2 Whitethroats.

Kittiwakes to Common Sandpiper courtesy and copyright of JFT

7th Apr 2024: Full spring ahead

This week was the start of quite a busy few weeks, with more spring migrants coming in and generally a lot more observers and reports than normal. 

On the bank holiday Monday an Egyptian Goose flew through low to the south and later a Curlew flew over west. There was also a report of 2 Shelduck flying through. There was 2-3 Willow Warblers and several each of Sand Martin and Swallow.

On Wednesday 3rd Ian Rowe saw our first House Martin of the year and later in the day Sandra saw the first Yellow Wagtail of the year. 

On the Friday there were 2 Little Ringed Plovers, House Martin, 3-4 Willow Warblers, Swallow and few Sand Martins. 

Today another Shelduck flew through north, at least 7-8 Willow Warblers and a good number of hirundines including 6+ House Martins. John saw the first Redstart of the year (a female) and later in the day 2 males were also seen. Also the first Common Sandpiper of the year found by Adrian T, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and another Yellow Wagtail.

Raven to Redstarts courtesy and copyright of JFT