Cress Marsh 2022

I assume the water supply from which the pumps draws water is also very low? if not why is it not used ?
Many similar sites in Norfolk are also dried out, such are the consequences of climate change ..

regards John

21st August
Weather: Sunny, warm, W wind
Time on site: 16:05-17:30

A late afternoon visit to a very dry and dusty Cress Marsh found the site to be very quiet, with few bird species to be seen. Noted during the visit were:

Carrion Crow    1
Goldfinch    45 - all feeding on plant seeds along the path to the hide
Green Sandpiper    1 - feeding on the lagoon bank
Grey Heron    1 - wading in what is remaining of the lagoon
Greylag Goose    120 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Greylag x Canada Goose    1 - in the Greylag flock on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Kestrel    2 - both hunting over the "Pylon Scrapes" area of the site
Linnet    1
Little Egret    1 - wading in what is remaining of the lagoon
Little Grebe    2 - both on the lagoon
Magpie    1
Mallard    3 - all on the lagoon
Moorhen    1 - on the ditch at the front of the site
Mute Swan    2 - both on the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    4 - following grazing cattle on the "Field Scrapes" area of the site
Shoveler    1 - on the lagoon
Stock Dove    3 
Teal    21 - all on the lagoon
Woodpigeon    4
Yellow Wagtail    4 - following grazing cattle on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Roe Deer    1 - on the "Field Scrapes" area of the site

Butterflies (all along the path to the hide):
Small White    3

All bar one of the scrapes are now dry. The remaining wet scrape contains very little water. The lagoon contains very little water, with approx 70% of the bed now exposed and dry.
If the dry conditions continue, I think the site will be totally dry within a month.
 

7th August
Weather: Sun, warm, SW breeze
Time on site: 13:35-14:50

This afternoon I visited site, which is starting to look more like the "Stallingborough Serengeti" rather than a wetland habitat! As expected, water levels had further dropped since my visit last weekend,

Noted during my visit were:

Carrion Crow    1
Gadwall    5 - all on the "lagoon"
Kestrel    2 - one hunting over the "Field Scrapes", the other over the "Pylon Scrapes" area
Linnet    15 - flock was mobile around site
Little Egret    6 - all in the lagoon
Little Grebe    2 - both on the lagoon
Mallard    2 - both on the lagoon
Mute Swan    3 - all on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    3 - two adults and a juvenile on exposed mud in the lagoon area.
Pied Wagtail    10 - all feeding along the lagoon shore
Teal    4 - all on the lagoon
Yellow Wagtail    4 - two adults and two juveniles feeding along the lagoon shore

Roe Deer    1 - male on the "Field Scrapes" area

Butterflies (all seen along the path to the hide):
Gatekeeper    1
Painted Lady    1
Small Tortoiseshell    1
Small White    1

 

Visited this morning, and was saddened to see how quickly the water levels have dropped in the main lagoon. 
Nothing much in the way of birdlife apart from the usual suspects, although was nice to see 4 juvenile yellow wagtails around the mud.
Had a very close encounter with the local stag, but no sign of his harem.
Notable butterfly on path approach was a Brimstone.
Hope we get some substantial rain soon.

31st July
Weather: Overcast with occasional drizzle, warm, NW wind.
Time on site: 1025 - 12:30.

Conditions on site remain very similar to those reported last week. Recorded during my visit were:

Blackbird    1 - perched on the fence by the car parking area.
Buzzard    1 - perched on a fence post at the edge of the "Pylon Scrapes" area
Canada Goose    5 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Carrion Crow    3 - all on the "Pylon Scrapes" area
Goldfinch    42 - flock perched on the fence that runs along the path to the hide.
Grey Heron    3 - all in what remains of the lagoon.
Greylag Goose    7 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the "Pylon Scrapes" area
Linnet    27 - flock over the "Pylon Scrapes" area
Little Egret    5 - all in the lagoon
Little Grebe    3 - all on the lagoon
Magpie    1
Mallard    18 - all on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    1 - on the lagoon shore, feeding on insects.
Mute Swan    3 - all on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    2 - adult and juvenile on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    10 - all seen on the lagoon shore
Starling    1 - perched on power cables, along the path to the hide
Swallow    1 - over the "Pylon Scrapes" area
Woodpigeon    28 - three on the "Pylon Scrapes" area and twenty-five along the lagoon shore, on the opposite side of the lagoon to the hide.

Roe Deer    1 - seen on one of the islands in the lagoon

Butterflies (all recorded along the path to the hide):
Gate Keeper    5
Large White    1
Meadow Brown    1
Painted Lady    3
Peacock    2
Small Tortoiseshell    1
Small White    2

 

24th July
Weather: Overcast, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 17:30-18:30

My first visit to the site in two weeks and in that time the site has dried out a lot! All of the scrapes in the "Pylon Scrapes" and "Hide Scrapes" areas are dry, One scrape in the "Field Scrapes" area still retains some water. A large part of the lagoon is now dry - approximately half of it retains some water. As expected, the site was fairly quiet!

Noted during my visit:

Black-headed Gull    1 
Buzzard    1 - over the "Field Scrapes" area
Canada Goose    5 - all on the lagoon
Carrion Crow    2
Collared Dove    1
Goldfinch    3 
Greylag Goose    56 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Kestrel    2 - one over the "Field Scrapes" area, the other over the "Hide Scrapes"
Little Egret    3 - all wading in the lagoon
Little Grebe   2 - both on the lagoon
Magpie    2
Mallard    1 - on the lagoon
Mute Swan    3 - all on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1 - on around the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - flew low over the "Field Scrapes" area
Pied Wagtail    2
Shelduck    4 - on the lagoon
Stock Dove    1
Woodpigeon    8
Yellow Wagtail    1 - on the lagoon bank
Yellowhammer    1
Roe Deer    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon

Butterflies - all seen along the path to the hide:
Common Blue    1
Gate Keeper    2
Meadow Brown    1
Painted Lady    1
Small White    1

Hopefully we will get some decent rainfall soon!