November 2018

3rd  Almost all of the egrets disappeared this week. Perhaps they are at
       Grafham Water? (Actually I looked and they are not!)
       A great spotted woodpecker was seen near the river viewpoint
       along with a red kite, and redwings.

       Have you noticed the lack of rabbits? They have all but disappeared locally
       due to Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD-2). This new disease affects hares too.
       This is all bad news if you are a rabbit or a hare, but also if you are a fox, kite,
       buzzard or other predator.

Freeloader!

       Rabbits have played a major role in habitat management here, for better or worse.
       If they disappear I think the consequences will be mixed but the effect on
       vegetation will be profound, unless they bounce back, which I believe they will.

3rd  GS Woodpecker near river.

4th  Another GS Woodpecker and a shrew at the Hayden Hide. Snipe x 2, green

Wren at the Kingfisher Hide.

       sandpiper x 4, great white egret and little egret at the kingfisher Hide.

9th  Bullfinches, common sandpiper, common gull, redwings on the Heron Trail.

14th The first goosanders of the season, in the form of four young birds on the
        Heronry Lakes.

15th Third Thursday Walk:
         Blackbird, b.h gull, blue tit, bullfinch, crow, chaffinch, cormorant, dunnock,
         gadwall, goldfinch, great tit, green sandpiper, green woodpecker, heron,
         house sparrow, jackdaw, lapwing, lesser b.b. gull, little grebe, magpie, mallard,
         moorhen, mute swan, pheasant, robin, feral pigeon, rook, collared dove, shoveler,
         teal, tufted duck, widgeon, wood pigeon, wren, Canada goose, goldeneye,
         goosander (4), grey wagtail x2. (38 spp.) Report by David Wilson.

Thursday's list from Margaret Bailey.

16th Woodcock, redwing and fieldfare in the Great Meadow. (DM McCarthy)

17th Green sandpiper, grey wagtail on Heronry South ( AT)

18th G W Egret and muntjac at the Kingfisher Hide (MH)

21st On Wednesday we had a brilliant talk about Bees from Brian Eversham. I learned an awful lot. While the audience of fifty plus was assembling, I looked out the window to see a kingfisher perched on the edge of Weedy Pit. Migrant blackbirds and redwings were feeding on berries in the car park and I was tempted to sneak out for a better look. While I wasn't looking the following happened:
"Just after arriving this afternoon I spotted the GWE landing at the back of Weedy Pit. This seemed to drive out a Bittern which led to a “Face Off” for a minute or two. I took several pictures and have attached one for you."

Derek Hale (A birder from the IOW)
Thanks Derek. Nice one!

Photo by Derek Hale

22nd Gadwall x 96, mallard x 55, Teal x 40, shoveller x 23, pochard x 5, goldeneye x 8,
         tufted duck x 142, green sandpiper x 2, snipe, buzzard, tree-creeper,
         common gull x 13, mute swan x 42, bullfinch x 4. (Terry Brown)

24th Pochard, tufted duck, gadwall, mute swan, shoveller, GW Egret. (Katharine Hall)
        Peregrine at river viewpoint, low and fast. (Jim Stevenson)
        Blue tits, dunnock, chaffinch, robin, magpie, blackbird, redwing,
        moorhen and squirrel at the VC. (Kati Page.)

25th Female Scaup from Kingfisher Hide, redwings, continental blackbirds and mixed
        finches on arable. Redhead Smew in the quarry, plus 180 Golden Plover over.