Cress Marsh 2022

27th December
Weather: Overcast, cold, SW wind
Time on site: 08:25-10:15

It's been a month since my last visit to the site and in this time the water levels on site have increased dramatically. The site is now looking very good, with high water levels in the lagoon, all scrapes filled and some other areas of the site flooded.

Noted during my visit were:

Black-headed Gull    4 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Blackbird    4 - feeding in the car park area
Buzzard    1 - perched on a fence post in the "Hide scrapes" area
Carrion Crow    2
Cormorant    1 - seen flying over the site
Gadwall    60 - four on the "Field scrapes", six on the lagoon and fifty on the "Pylon scrapes"
Golden Plover    3 - on the "Field scrapes" with a large flock on Lapwing.
Goldfinch    8
Great Black-backed Gull    3 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Green Sandpiper    1 - feeding on the "Field scrapes"
Grey Heron    1 - on the "Field scrapes"
Lapwing    370 - Three hundred and sixty five on the "Pylon scrapes" and five on one of the islands in the lagoon.
Magpie    1
Mallard    2 - both on the "Pylon scrapes"
Meadow Pipit    9 
Mute Swan    1 - on the "Field scrapes"
Pheasant    2
Pied Wagtail    8
Redshank    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Robin    2 - feeding in the car parking area
Shoveler    2 - on the lagoon
Song Thrush    2 - feeding in the car parking area
Starling    36 
Teal    18 - fourteen on the lagoon and four on the "Pylon scrapes"
Wigeon    15 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Wren    1
Yellowhammer    1 - in the car parking area
Roe Deer    6 - five on the "Field scrapes" area and one on the "Hide scrapes" area of the site.

 

Morning John, water levels across most of the site  now appear to be back to pre drought period levels. There are a few of the scrapes that are still dry, but the majority of them now hold water.

Are the water levels increasing across the site now Jon ?

27th November

Weather: Overcast with sunny intervals, warm, SW breeze
Time on site: 12:50-14:15

This afternoon's visit found a very quiet Cress Marsh, with only 12 species of bird recorded.

Blackbird    1
Buzzard    1 - perched on the hedge bordering the "Pylon scrapes" area
Carrion Crow    1
Goldfinch    20 - perched in a tree by the carpark
Green Sandpiper    3 - two on the "Field scrapes" and one on the "Pylon scrapes"
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon. The only bird on the lagoon!
Moorhen    1 - on the ditch by the carpark
Pheasant    2
Starling    16 - on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Teal    5 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Wigeon    2 - both on the "Field scrapes"
Wren    1

Roe Deer    2 - both on the "Pylon scrapes" area
 

20th November
Weather: Sun, cold, W breeze
Time on site: 09:40-11:15

Good to see that there is now plenty of water on site, with levels not too far off what they were before the drought period commenced.

Noted on a visit to site this morning were:

Blackbird    1
Buzzard    1 - one soaring over the site
Canada Goose    50 - flock on the "Field scrapes" area
Canada x Greylag Goose    1 - with the Canada Goose flock
Carrion Crow    2
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding around the lagoon shore
Cormorant    1 - on the lagoon
Goldfinch    10 - flock feeding on one of the islands in the lagoon
Great Black-backed Gull    1 - on the lagoon
Green Sandpiper    1 - feeding on the "Field scrapes" area
Greenfinch    9 - flock in trees next to the car park
Greylag Goose    5 - with the Canada Goose flock
Kestrel    1 - perched on gate located on the far side of the lagoon 
Lapwing    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Linnet    5 - flock feeding on the lagoon bank
Magpie    1
Mallard    5 - three on the "Field scrapes" and two on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    10 - flock feeding on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    5 
Redwing    1 - perched in a tree by the car park
Shoveler    24 - all on the lagoon
Sparrowhawk    1 - hunting along the path to the hide
Starling    200 - mobile flock, mainly feeding on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Teal    68 - fifty-eight on the lagoon and ten on the "Field scrapes"
Wigeon    17 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Roe Deer    1 - male, feeding on the "Hide scrapes" area.
 

6th November
Weather: Overcast, cool, S breeze
Time on site: 11:10-12:45

Noted during a visit to site earlier today:

Black-headed Gull    1 - dropped onto the lagoon
Blackbird    1 
Buzzard    1 - flying over the "Field scrapes" area of site
Canada Goose    52 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Carrion Crow    3
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shoreline
Cormorant    1 - on the lagoon
Dunnock    1
Goldfinch    5
Greylag Goose    60 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Kestrel    2 - one hunting over the "Pylon scrapes", the second hunting over the "Field scrapes"
Little Egret    1 - stood on the lagoon shore
Magpie    1
Mallard    5 - two on the "Field scrapes" and three on the lagoon
Moorhen    1 - on the ditch next to the car park
Pheasant    2
Shoveler    26 - all on the lagoon
Starling    15 - perched on power lines, alongside the path to the hide
Teal    33 - all on the lagoon
Wigeon    3 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Woodpigeon    6
Wren    1
Roe Deer    4 - a pair on the "Pylon scrapes area and a second pair on the "Hide scrapes" area of site.