January 8th to 19th 2018

Photos by Huw Lewis, with kind permission.

8th:   Jay, bullfinch, goldcrest, wren, redwings, kestrel x 2, green woodpecker,
         great spotted woodpecker all on the Heron Trail between the visitor centre
         and the river viewpoint. Black squirrel at the visitor centre bird feeder. (JAS)

Bullfinch (Fisherman's Car Park)

10th: Bullfinch, shoveler, gadwall, wigeon, teal, goldeneye (2 drakes), greylags,
         great spotted woodpecker, great crested grebe, redshank, black headed gull.
         (No winter thrushes) (BNT)

12th: Shoveler, teal, wigeon, green sandpiper, goldeneye, great spotted
         woodpecker, green woodpecker.

Great spotted woodpecker male.
Hayden Hide.

13th: Jay x 2, great spotted woodpecker, both on quarry road north of
         Rory's Wood. (NB)

14th: Goldeneye, goosander, green sandpiper, song thrush. (Island Pit) (PC)
         Robin.

Long-tailed tits. Hayden Hide.

15th: Redpoll x 3, treecreeper. (River viewpoint) (AB Hale).

16th: Cormorants, 6 nests occupied and birds displaying on sides of nests.
         (T&V Gunton)

18th: Third Thursday Walk: Blackbird, black headed gull, blue tit, bullfinch,
          crow, chaffinch, common gull, coot, cormorant, dunnock, gadwall,
          great crested grebe, great tit (singing), heron, greylag, jackdaw, little grebe,
          long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, moorhen, mute swan, robin, shoveler,  starling,
          stock dove, teal, tufted duck, wigeon, wood pigeon, goldeneye. (31 spp.)
          (D. Wilson.)

Wigeon on Heronry South.

18th: Redpoll x 2, just north of River Viewpoint. (Sharon).

         Wildlife Monitoring Group:
         Tufted duck 10, mallard 7, grey heron nesting plus 2, shoveler 25+,
         mute swan 3+2, teal 12, wigeon 25, gt spotted woodpecker m & fm,
         b-h gull 25, kingfisher, Canada goose, gadwall 2, goldeneye 3, blue tit 5, great tit 6,
         jackdaw 6, chaffinch 2, ronin 2, dunnock 2, blackbird, pheasant, cormorant 10
         (at least one pair nesting), moorhen, woodpigeon 6, sparrowhawk m,
         stock dove, l-t tit 7.

Heronry North: Goldeneye 6, g-c grebe 1, wigeon 10, gadwall 8, tufted duck 32, mallard 6,
         Egyptian goose pr, b-h gull 2, blue tit 3, carrion crow. (Alan Coles)

January 5th to 7th 2018

Jan 5th: Water rail (meadow trail), teal, sparrowhawk, at the Hayden hide,
              common gull on the river.

Long-tailed tit

Jan 6th: Squirrels, long-tailed tits, blue tits, great tits, wren, robin, blackbird,
              sparrow, hedgehog. (Polly Holday).

              As above plus dunnock, coot, moorhen, mallard, tufted duck, gadwall, wigeon,
              heron, cormorant, sparrowhawk, goldfinch, chaffinch, treecreeper, goldcrest,
              magpie, carrion crow, jay, wood pigeon, bh gull, lbb gull, mute swan,
              canada goose. (Sharon Williamson)

Jan 7th: Water rail x 2, Egyptian geese x 2, grey wagtail x 2, dunlin x 4, (Washout Pit)
              9 Whooper swans. (Diddington Pit.) (G.R.)

Goldeneye

              Bh gulls x 180, teal x 20, tufted duck x 122, wigeon x 90, gadwall x 100,
              shoveller x 27, goldeneye x 9, red crested pochard, water rail, lapwing x 2,
              fieldfare x 2, redwing x 2, common gull x 3. (Terry Brown)

              Whooper swan. (Gary)

December 27th to January 6th.

Happy New Year to you all.

The mild weather generally has continued, but the biggest change has been in water levels. With Southoe Brook flowing well and the river up, the Heronry Lakes are now the highest we have seen in a year. This has driven the shoreline back into the trees and making observations more difficult.

This heron was enjoying the low water level in December.
He's not there now and neither is the island behind him.

I strongly recommend  a visit to the wild bird cover mix in our arable fields where there are flocks of buntings and finches feeding, though it takes patience to see them amongst the crops. The starling roost over the meadow has grown to several thousand birds since Christmas.

Cormorants are well in to nesting now.
This one was photographed last month and
 isn't showing breeding plumage yet.

Dec 31st: Green woodpecker x 2, teal x 6, mute swan x 66, kingfisher, b.h. gulls x 120,
                 mallard x 28, gadwall x 110, shoveller x 44, wigeon x 21, green sandpiper x 3,
                 redwing x 2, goldeneye x 10, buzzard, tufted duck x 176, skylark x 26,
                 yellowhammer x 60, linnet x 4, grey wagtail. (Terry Brown)

                 Pigeon x 2, sparrow hawk x 2, coot x 2 (Alice Gooch)

                 Goldcrest, treecreeper, g.s. woodpecker, long tailed tits, blue tits,
                 great tits, swans, mallards, cormorants, hereon x 2, tufted ducks, wood pigeons,
                 robins, dunnocks, cola tit. (Nicole and Nigel Smith)

January 1st "Ice-breaker" event:
                 Two guided walks involved 59 people. 53 species were seen including
                 green sandpiper,  kingfisher, goldcrest, reed bunting and jay.
                 The walks raised £111 for the Friends to spend on the reserve.
                 Thanks to all 14 of the volunteers involved. (TG)

Jan 2nd:   Robins, blue tits, great tits, wren, tufted ducks, song thrush,
                 grey squirrels. (Jakey and Sharon)

Records of common birds are valuable.
Please keep them coming.

Jan 3rd:   Red crested pochard drake x 2, Kingfisher (all on Heronry South). (John Edwards)
                Green sandpiper x 3 on Island Pit. (Neal)

Jan 6th:   Green woodpecker, g.s.woodpecker x 2, jackdaws, reed buntings,
                kestrel x 2, bullfinches, teal, shoveller, wigeon, gadwall, tufted ducks,
                grey herons, cormorants, carrion crow, long-tailed tits, greylag geese, redwing,
                blackbird, b.h. gull. All on the Heronry Trail. (JAS)