6th Oct 2024: Mandarin Duck

A new edition to the year list today was a fem/imm Mandarin Duck that left before I could get a better look at it. This was as well as 2 Egyptian Geese and a Snow Goose seen yesterday. All wild of course...

There were some autumn migrants with a Redwing on Thursday and 6 Siskin today. A Yellow Wagtail over on Wednesday, a Snipe and 6 Gadwall over on Thursday and a Yellowhammer in the cattle field Friday added a little interest. Otherwise there's still a good number of hirundines passing through, sometimes lingering, several Chiffchaffs and the odd Blackcap.

29th Sep 2024

It's been a generally quiet week. Steve Holliday saw a Pintail (fem/imm) on Tuesday morning that circled the reservoir but flew north.

On Wednesday morning the rain from previous couple of days had forced the river to overflow and the entrance, cattle field and paths around the wood were all flooded. I had at least 103 Meadow Pipits over flying south-east in 1 hour, mostly in small groups (including groups of 32, 15, 20 and 10), and several others around/grounded. there was also 1 Skylark over south-east, at least 22 Pied Wagtails around and a lot of small gulls including 2-3 Common Gulls.

The weekend was fairly quiet and uneventful, but a Mistle Thrush that dropped in for around 5 minutes on Friday afternoon was nice.

22nd Sep 2024: Great White Egret

With easterlies forecast for most of the week and at least cloud cover most days I had high hopes of adding a few more species to the year list, especially after the easterlies earlier in the month. I was thinking along the lines of more waders, terns (I haven't seen Common Tern yet this year) or maybe even a Spotted Flycatcher for the year list (fast becoming a really good patch bird!), but it wasn't to be.

The highlight of an actually very quiet week was a Great White Egret over on Thursday morning. It circled looking like it was going to land but carried on north. Otherwise there's been a good variety of ducks (for here), with up to 2 Teal on a few days, 2 Wigeon on Thursday, a Shoveler Friday and 2 Gadwall Saturday amongst the usuals. JFT had a Snipe flyover north on Saturday, there's been a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a Kingfisher around most days.

15th Sep 2024

Quite a good week with a few nice birds. On Wednesday evening JFT found a juvenile Arctic Tern. Friday afternoon another Whinchat (or a lingering bird maybe) was in the cattle field and was around until today at least. There was also a 2cy Yellow-legged Gull.

This morning there was a Wheatear with the Whinchat, but it didn't hang around very long. A Lesser Whitethroat was along the western bank and a steady passage of hirundines, mostly Swallows, overhead.

8th Sep 2024

Sandra found a Redstart on Monday along with a Whinchat still and later in the day another Redstart was seen. On Thursay JFT had 4 Shovelers and a Common Tern.

Yesterday there was a bit of a fall with a Redstart, 3-4 Whinchats, 2+ Wheatears and a couple of Yellow Wagtails all in the Cattle Field. In addition there was a Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler amongst a really good number of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. 

This morning there was 2 Shoveler, Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher, and Yellow Wagtail. The first couple of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks over of the autumn. Adrian T also saw a Whinchat in the Cattle Field.

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

1st Sep 2024: Pochard and Nuthatch

On Monday Clive found the first Pochard of the year on the reservoir, which stayed around till today. There was a Common Tern too and JFT had 2 Yellow-legged Gulls in the afternoon.

A Teal, Common Sandpiper, and Yellow-legged Gull on Wednesday and Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler, and 3-4 Yellow-legged Gulls yesterday.

This morning JFT and I were out early and were rewarded with 2 Whinchat, with individuals seen in different places. Also 6 Yellow Wagtails over, Teal, 2 Swifts, 2 Little Egrets and a Nuthatch calling in the woodland. 

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

25th Aug 2024: summer update

A very long overdue summer update...

There hasn't been a huge amount to report though to be honest. Not many visits and very few birds. 

The highlight of the last 3 months was 2 Ringed Plover seen by JFT on 28th July. Quite an unusual date for them and possibly early returning birds heading south. 

On 23rd June Clive saw a (the?) Grey Partridge again but up by the Borrow Pit pool up the valley this time, which was probably the main other highlight.

Common Sandpipers and Yellow-legged Gulls started appearing again in July. Up to 2 Little Egrets became fairly regular and there was the occasional Yellow Wagtail and Raven, a Lapwing on the 4th August and 2 Teal on the 14th August.

Willow Emeralds and Small Red-eyed Damselflies were the best of the odonata seen, but far fewer numbers than the previous couple of years.

26th May 2024: Oystercatchers

It's really quietened down now as we move into late spring and summer. I haven't been out on patch much to be honest and I don't think others have, but we're not expecting a lot more this spring anyway.

A local birder saw two Oystercatchers go over on the 17th, which were new for the year, and JFT was out on the 21st and saw a Common Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.

12th May 2024: Common Tern

A fairly quiet week again but a few bits around. Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers on some days and the Cetti's Warbler very settled and singing regularly. 

John had Yellow Wagtail and Little Egret again on Monday morning and our first Common Tern of the year in the afternoon.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

5th May 2024: Last of the warblers and Little Egret

On Monday morning Ian had 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 Little Ringed Plovers. Wednesday morning Ian also had our first Garden Warbler of the year. 

Thursday in the rain there were 2 Garden Warblers, a Wheatear in the cattle field and another (fairly late) Redstart.

John was out early Friday and had 2 separate Arctic Terns go through and another Common/Arctic not identified and Ian had 2 Shelducks over a little later.

Today Clive and I did the B.O.S. Long Day Count with the Grimsbury patch being the core of our day. We added Reed Warbler new for the year, which was the first time I've ever recorded 10 warbler species on the same day on patch. The Grey Partridge was in the cattle field again and a Little Egret flying through in the evening was also new for the year, were the highlights.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

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

31st Mar 2024

Quite a lot of visitors and news this week and I think I've got everything, but I apologise if I've missed anything. 

On Tuesday Bruce Hendrie saw our first Shoveler of the year, with five birds present (4 drakes). Ian also saw a Little Ringed Plover, 2 White Wagtails and a Willow Warbler.

The next morning there were 2 Shoveler and a Little Ringed Plover still and 1 Swallow and 7 Sand Martin later in the day.

John recorded our first (?) Blackcap of the year as well as Willow Warbler and c.9 Chiffchaffs, and later in the day Ian had a Swallow and 3 sand Martin and Sandra had a Little Ringed Plover. 

On Saturday John and I had our first Heron of the year, believe it or not! and today Clive had 12 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover and a Willow Warbler.