29th Sep 2025: Dunlin and Crossbills

Generally there was very little of note all week but the Marsh Tit was seen again on Friday. 

Today, things really changed with a few good patch birds making it a really nice morning in what has been a generally really poor autumn so far. Clive and John B found 2 Dunlin and a Snipe along the western shore, all of which flushed but the Dunlin reappeared and despite further flushes apparently stayed all day. The Dunlin were the first of the year and Snipe are very rarely seen on the deck here.

As we were stood chatting at the northern end 3 Common Crossbills flew in calling and appeared to land in the wood. Shortly after a single bird flew west. I searched the wood for them but there was no sign of them. These were the first crossbills recorded here since 2020.

On my way out I stopped to get a better look at the Dunlin and a Rock Pipit flew along the west shore and landed south of me. It was flighty and flushed every time people/dogs walked by, even going into the cattle field briefly, and the last I saw of it it flew to the eastern bank.

21st Sep 2025

This week really felt like autumn and there was a little variation of birds recorded.

There has been a Common Sandpiper around on most days still and a couple of Ravens have been present on a few days. On Tuesday there was 1(+) Mistle Thrush I heard flying over the wood, Ian picked out a Garden Warbler in the scrub on the western side and JFT saw a Common Tern in the evening.

The Marsh Tit was still around, seen on Wednesday and today, and there have been a few more Siskins, with half a dozen in the wood today.

14th Sep 2025: Marsh Tit

The main news from the last couple of weeks is the presence of a Marsh Tit in the wood with the roving flock, seen last Sunday and today and the first record since 2021. Clive and I had both thought we'd heard one over the previous few of weeks but couldn't be sure.

Four Gadwall on the 5th coincided with a noticeable local influx. A Skylark and 11 Meadow Pipits over south on the 6th were the first of the Autumn and there have been a few Siskins too. Otherwise there has been a Common Sandpiper around most days, presumably the same one, regular Kingfisher and a few Yellow Wagtails.