28th Apr 2021: Whinchat and Hobby

This morning Ian, John and I were all out early. The conditions looked great and hopes were high, especially for the likes of Arctic Tern. Unfortunately it wasn't to be, but it was a good day nonetheless.

It was a bit quiet to start off with and we'd only seen two Common Sandpipers and eleven (min.) Yellow Wagtails. However, there was obviously a fair few new warblers around, including three Lesser Whitethroats - one of which John actually saw come in from quite high up!

At approximately 7:40 (and unfortunately after Ian and John had left) I found a Whinchat on the fence of the cattle field to the NW of the reservoir before it moved to the fence along the ditch in the cattle field. Where I also saw a Wheatear briefly, with both birds moving along. Mike Pollard arrived and found another two Wheatears in the cattle field. These were all fresh in and in locations people had already looked. By this time the number of hirundines had really built up and there continued to be good numbers all day - mostly House Martins in the evening.

At lunch time there were two Swifts and the peak count of fourteen Yellow Wagtails for the day. In the evening Mike Pollard had our first Hobby of the year, taking the year list to 100 species!

27th Apr 2021

Mike Pollard was out yesterday morning and had a Common Sandpiper and two Yellow Wagtails.

This morning there was three Yellow Wagtails, but not much else. This evening there was six Swifts and a minimum of 18 Yellow Wagtails (I saw 14 together along the west bank and there was 4+ in or flying over the cattle field). Quite the spectacle when I first saw c.15 in flight - I almost didn't believe it! 

25th Apr 2021: Sanderling and Garden Warbler

This morning John and I headed out early. We recorded six (min.) Yellow Wagtails, Common Sandpiper, Lesser Whitethroat and several each of Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler. I stayed later hoping (desperately) for some terns or Little Gulls but they didn't arrive. Mid-morning a Swift arrived and then another two and shortly after a Sanderling appeared on the western shoreline. Clive had also seen a Little Egret up the valley.

A few people came to see the Sanderling but unfortunately it didn't stay long with a high level of human recreational activity. However, John (and Luca!) did record our first Garden Warbler of the year along the river.

A proper photo... courtesy and copyright of Kyle Smith

Swift and Starling courtesy and copyright of JFT

24th Apr 2021: Swifts

Mike was out this morning and it was very quiet, just three Yellow Wagtails of note.

This evening I had our first two Swifts of the year.

23rd Apr 2021: Little Egret

Ian was out very early this morning (just after 5am!) but unfortunately did not get a big reward for his efforts, although he did record our first Little Egret of the year. Other sightings were singles of Yellow Wagtail and Little Ringed Plover.

22nd Apr 2021: BAR-TAILED GODWITS!!

John was out early this morning and saw two BAR-TAILED GODWITS for a short time before they were flushed and flew north-east. This is an incredible sighting and appears to be the first record for the site since August 1974!!

There was also three Yellow Wagtails and a Little Ringed Plover.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

21st Apr 2021: Lesser Whitethroat

John had our first Lesser Whitethroat of the year this morning, as well as two Common Sandpipers, Whitethroat and three Sedge Warblers.

20th Apr 2021: Whitethroats

This morning Ian had our first Whitethroat of the year and two Common Sandpipers at the reservoir.

In the evening Adrian B also had two Whitethroats at the Borrow Pit pool and three Sedge Warblers and at the reservoir a Common Tern and three Common Sandpipers.

19th Apr 2021

Fairly quiet this morning, with the only notable sighting being a flyover Little Ringed Plover.

18th Apr 2021: Green Sandpiper

Being out early this morning Adrian T was rewarded with a Green Sandpiper at the reservoir. An unusual species to have actually grounded here and other sightings in the past have been flyovers or up the valley, but there has been birds nearby on 'pools' by the M40 junction so could have been one of the those birds. 

Unfortunately it was not present by the time I got there and a Common Sandpiper was the consolation prize, but otherwise generally quiet. The Marsh Tit was singing in the wood, a Sedge Warbler at the Borrow Pit pool and Mike C had a Yellow Wagtail at the reservoir.

17th Apr 2021

Today there was obviously a bit of a clear out, with only one Yellow Wagtail present. However, a new Sedge Warbler had arrived at the Borrow Pit pool in the U.C.V. 

Mike P also had ten Greylag Geese up the valley which is a great number for here.

16th Apr 2021: Common Tern

This morning our first Common Tern of the year was present when I arrived, hawking over the water with some Black-headed Gulls, but left shortly after.  There was also three Little Ringed Plovers, a minimum of five Yellow Wagtails and a few Swallows.

In the evening Sandra had seven Yellow Wagtails.

15th Apr 2021

This evening Sue Veitch had two Little Ringed Plovers, six Yellow Wagtails and Sedge Warbler at the reservoir.

13th Apr 2021

This morning Ian had 2 Common Sandpipers and a Yellow Wagtail.

In the evening there was still a Yellow Wagtail with at least 12 Pied Wagtails and later 2 Little Ringed Plovers. A Sedge Warbler was singing along the river and there was several Willow Warblers around. 

Up at the Borrow Pit several Sand Martins were foraging.

12th Apr 2021

A Redstart was still present this morning seen foraging in the snow (!) by Ian and Mike found six Yellow Wagtails at the southern end of the reservoir.