Cress Marsh

Hello Jim,
No they haven’t been attached to the power lines between the tall pylons, only to the wires between the wooden poles that go along the main path.. I quite agree that it is a concern; I will drop an email to Rachel Graham about it., if that’s ok.

Have bird diverters been attached to the power lines yet?

The collision risk re the overhead lines is a concern.

Elsewhere, wild swans have a habit of coming a cropper in poor light.

Spent an hour on site this lunch time. Water levels were high in the scrapes and lagoon, the latter being largely devoid of birds.

Species recorded:

Buzzard (1) - flew from trees near the gate across the site.
Chaffinch (15) - flock on grassed area inside the gate.
Pied Wagtail (15) - on grassed area inside the gate.
Herring Gull (3)
Black-headed Gull (50) - on scrapes
Tufted Duck (1) - the only bird on the lagoon.
Kestrel (1) - over fields behind the site.
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Great Black-backed Gull (1)+(5)* - 1 dead under power lines next to path to hide. 5 on scrapes.
Peregrine (1)* - flying towards power station stacks
Wren (1)*
Fox (1) - in field behind the site.

* = seen when walking back to the car from the hide so not recorded in the sightings book.

Spent an hour on site this afternoon. Water level in the lagoon and surrounding scrapes still looking good!
17 species recorded. Highlights:
Chaffinch - flock of 20 birds near car park.
Pied Wagtail -3
Yellowhammer - 8 along path to hide
Goldfinch - flock of 20 along path to hide
Linnet - flock of 40 along path to hide
Herring Gull - 65
GBBG - 13
Black-headed Gull - 45
Tufted Duck -1
Lapwong -7
Meadow Pipit -2
Shelduck -1
Buzzard - 1 (pale morph) bird sat on power line posts at back of site.

Roe Deer -3

Had an hour this afternoon. Water level at lagoon very good and surrounding fields also pooling nicely.
Few wagtails on way to hide including 1 yellow
Lots of gulls, 4 GBB and loads of BHG
11 lapwing
Nice flock of linnets
Wagtails
Cormorant
Mallards/Teal
3 roe deer in adjacent field

Doesn't sound a lot, but more encouraging than last visit nearly 3 weeks ago.

First visit to the site for several weeks, spent a hour there on my way home from work this afternoon.. The water level in the scrapes and main lagoon looked good, but it was very quiet with respect to bird life!

Species noted :

Black-headed Gull - 15
Magpie -15
Great Black Back Gull - 2
Herring Gull - 24
Linnet -2
Cormorant -1
Shelduck -1
Lapwing -2
Woodpigeon
Carrion Crow

Roe Deer -4