Cress Marsh

Visit 1530 to 1630 today

Goldfinch 2
Woodpigeon a few
Common Gull c5
Yellowhammer 1
Starling c20
Swallow 1
Linnet 1
Greylag Goose 8
Pheasant 1
Grey Heron 5
Herring Gull Part of mixed flock, total c70
Common gull Part of mixed flock, total c70
Lesser Black-backed Gull Part of mixed flock, total c70
Black- headed Gull c120 and Part of mixed flock, total c70
Coot 4
Mallard 2
Little Egret 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Reed bunting 1
Cormorant 1

Kind regards
Martin

Visit 4-5pm today

Greylag c20 B5
Mallard 1 F7
Coot 4 G7
Shelduck 1 C5
Reed bunting 1 C3
Goldfinch 2 G5
L. Egret 3 H6
Starling c20 G6
Grey Heron 1 F6
Crows a few dotted about
Woodpigeons a few dotted about
BH, LBB, Herring Gulls c70 G3

Regards
Martin Francis

Highlights from a visit between 13.30 - 17.30 today:

2 Little Grebe
2 Little Egret
3 Grey Heron
1 Peregrine (juv)
1 Kestrel
3 Little Ringed Plover (adult and 2 juvs)
Groups of 21, 11 and c50 Black-tailed Godwits flew over as I was leaving but none dropped in
1 Yellow-legged Gull (adult - see record shot attached)
1 Med Gull (adult)
2 Yellow Wagtail over

Also of interest - today I received details on a colour-ringed adult Herring Gull I saw there on 10/7:
Yellow colour ring with code Y:900
04/11/16 Ringed at Rufforth Waste Disposal site, York
07/02/17 Seen at Poolsbrook Lake, Derbyshire
20/11/17 and 17/12/17 Seen at Norfolk Bridge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Regards

Chris

Decided to have a late visit to Cress last night. I am a member of the Bat Conservation trust, so thought I could kill two birds with one stone (no pun intended)
Arrived at 8pm, lovely warm evening with hardly any breeze.

On approach to hide along long path:

2 juvenile yellowhammers
8 linnets
approx. 10 goldfinches
3 reed buntings
1 sedge warbler
1 reed warbler
1 whitethroat
1 wren
pair chaffinches
2 skylarks
2 meadow pippits

Path approach to hide is quite overgrown in places, not that I find it a problem as full of insects/moths/butterflies and even seen a vole running across path. Linnets and others can be right underfoot before taking to wing. Be advised though, shorts aren't a good idea.



Lagoon:

6 gadwall
4 little egrets
1 cormorant
2 herons
4 coot plus 1 chick
1 little grebe
8 mallards, all female
3 lapwings
2 pheasant
5 pied wags (2 juvenile)
5 shelduck
4 BHGs plus 2 juveniles
3 carrion crow
2 deer, 1 a very young fawn

Highlight of the evening was spotting peregrine on the power station tower, then seeing mate come into area and both flying together. Passed food mid air and continued to rest on towers before taking to air and hedge hopping/swooping around power station.


Because I had neglected to bring a bloody torch, I had to leave the hide before full darkness, so never got to try for bats around hide/lagoon. I was hoping to hear maybe a Daubenton's or maybe a Noctule which would be entirely likely in this area. However, at the perimeter gate and short path on way back to car I did detect at least 4 pipistrelles (3 common and 1 Soprano). The whole site at dusk was teeming with insects, so the habitat is a great area for bats. I will try this again at some point....remembering a torch next time.

And there was a juvenile cormorant.

I looked in briefly at about 4pm, hoping to see a few waders, but there was none apart from a few minutes' worth of a little ringed plover feeding on the edge of the lagoon before flying off. Not sure if it's a juvenile or adult in eclipse.

At Killingholme Haven the black-tailed godwits in orange plumage continue to impress. There have been up to 200 (maybe more this week). Also present were avocets and redshank.

Unfortunately, there is no longer public access to nearby Rosper Road pools at Immingham, but I am told there were 1,000-plus btgs today.