Cress Marsh 2022

12th June
Weather: Sunny, warm, strong W wind
Time on site: 13:20 - 14:45

A very quiet visit to the site earlier this afternoon, with only 23 species recorded. Water levels on site are still low.

Black-headed Gull    3 - all on the lagoon
Carrion Crow    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon. W
Goldfinch    2 - feeding along the path to the hide
Grey Heron    2 - both initially on the "Hide Scrapes" area before relocating on to the lagoon.
Greylag Goose    11 - six on the "Field Scrapes" area and five (2 adults and 3 juveniles) on the lagoon
Herring Gull    34 - twenty on the "Field Scrapes" and fourteen on the lagoon
Lapwing    4 - two on the "Field Scrapes" area and two on one of the islands in the lagoon
Lesser Black-backed Gull    19 - fifteen on the "Field Scrapes" and four on the lagoon
Linnet     4 - four feeding on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of site
Little Egret    5 - three on the "Pylon Scrapes" and two fishing around the lagoon
Little Grebe    4 - all on the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    1 - feeding on the lagoon shore, in front of the hide
Magpie    2
Mallard    1 - on the "Field Scrapes"
Mute Swan    11 - four on the "Field Scrapes, one on the "Pylon Scrapes" and six on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon. 
Pheasant    2
Pied Wagtail    2 - one on one of the islands in the lagoon and one (juvenile) on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Shelduck    4 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Skylark    1 - singing over site
Stock Dove    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Tufted Duck    7 - all on the lagoon
Woodpigeon    21 - all on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of site



 

5th June
Weather: Overcast, cold, E wind
Time on site: 06:00-07:15

Water levels on site continue to fall, with mud banks now starting to appear in the lagoon. The water in the left hand side of the lagoon (when viewed from the hide) is now so shallow that the Lesser Black-backed Gulls can comfortably stand in it. Noted on a brief visit to site first thing this morning were:

Black-headed Gull    1 - stood on a newly exposed mud bank in the lagoon
Buzzard    1 - over the wood at the back of the site
Carrion Crow    2
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from amongst reeds / scrub at the back of the "Hide Scrapes" area of site
Chiffchaff    1 - hear singing from within the hedge row that separated the site from the railway line
Cormorant    1 - on the lagoon
Gadwall    8 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Goldfinch    2 - pair flew over the car park area
Greylag Goose    6 - three adults and three chicks were seen crossing the lagoon to feed along the lagoon bank
Herring Gull    7 - two on the "Field Scrapes" and five on the lagoon
Lapwing    4 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Lesser Black-backed Gull    10 - all stood in the lagoon
Little Egret    5 - three on the "Field Scrapes", one on the "Pylon Scrapes" and one feeding on the lagoon shoreline
Little Grebe    5 - four on the lagoon and one on the "Field Scrapes" 
Little Ringed Plover    1 - on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Magpie    2
Mallard    6 - two on the "Field Scrapes" and four on the lagoon
Mute Swan    13 - seven on the "Field Scrapes" and six on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    2 - both on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pheasant    3
Pied Wagtail    1
Sedge Warbler    1 - heard singing from from reeds in one of the ditches on site
Shelduck    2 - both on the lagoon
Shoveler    2 - both on the "Field Scrapes"
Skylark    3 - singing over the site
Song Thrush    1 - singing from within the trees next to the car park area
Stock Dove    1 - on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Tufted Duck    7 - all on the lagoon
Wood Pigeon    10 - feeding in area behind the car park
Roe Deer    2 - male & female, both on the "Field Scrapes" area of site

very similar on the 5 wetland sites c 290 acres adjacent to the ST nnr
rainfall well below average at 182 mm so far this year . with only 6 mm and lots of drying wind and sun in April .

regards John

3rd June
Weather: Overcast, warm and humid, E wind
Time on site: 16:30-18:00

A late afternoon visit to site found the following present:

Black-headed Gull    2 - very few Gulls of any species on site during my visit. Of the B-H Gulls, one was on the lagoon, the other on the "Field Scrapes".
Carrion Crow    2
Gadwall    20 - all on the lagoon and hidden from view behind one of the islands until a Marsh Harrier put in an appearance! All subsequently flushed and settled on the lagoon in front of the hide once the Harrier had moved on.
Grey Heron    3 - all around the lagoon
Greylag Goose    5 - two adults and three chicks on one of the islands in the lagoon
Herring Gull    7 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Lapwing    8 - three on the "Field Scrapes" and five on islands in the lagoon
Lesser Black-backed Gull    5 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Little Egret    6 - two on the "Pylon Scrapes" and four around the lagoon
Little Grebe    6 - all on the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    1 - a single bird on the "Field Scrapes"
Mallard    24 - twelve on the "Field Scrapes" and twelve on the lagoon
Marsh Harrier    1 - drifted onto site and proceeded to hunt over the lagoon islands and field beyond the Cress Marsh site
Mute Swan    9 - eight on the "Field Scrapes" and one on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - perched in it's usual spot on top of one of the chimneys at the Power Station
Pheasant    4
Pied Wagtail    1
Reed Bunting    2 - a pair in Hawthorn bushes next to the path to the hide
Shoveler    2 - a pair on the lagoon
Skylark    3 - singing over the site
Stock Dove    2 - on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of site
Swallow    1 - feeding over the lagoon
Tufted Duck    9 - six on the lagoon and three on the "Field Scrapes"
Whitethroat    1 - singing from within the Hawthorn bush on the bend in the path to the hide
Woodpigeon    20
Roe Deer    2 - a female was on the "Field Scrapes" area and a male on the "Hide Scrapes" area of site.

Water levels on site are now very low. Most of the scrapes in the "Pylon Scrapes" area are dry. The scrapes in the "Field Scrapes" area at the South Marsh Lane end of the site are dry. Several of the scrapes in the "Hide Scrapes" area of site are also dry. The lagoon still has a large surface area of water present, however, the depth has significantly decreased - a Mute Swan was able to  stand in the middle of the lagoon with it's body clear of the water line!

29th May
Weather: Overcast with sunny intervals, cool, NE wind
Time on site: 16:50-18:30

A late afternoon visit to site found the following present:

Avocet    5 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon. No chicks seen.
Black-headed Gull    18 - Five on the "Field Scrapes" area and thirteen on the Lagoon.
Buzzard    1 - perched on a fence post to the rear of the Lagoon.
Carrion Crow    1
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from scrubby area next to the lagoon, adjacent to the railway line.
Greylag Goose    14 - ten on the "Field Scrapes" area and four on one of the islands in the lagoon. 
Herring Gull    22 - twenty on the "Field Scrapes" area and two on the Lagoon.
Lapwing    7 - two on the "Field Scrapes", one on the "Pylon Scrapes" area and four on one of the islands in the lagoon.
Lesser Black-backed Gull    3 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Little Egret    4 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Little Grebe    6 - all on the Lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    3 - two feeding on the Lagoon shore and one on one of the islands in the Lagoon
Magpie    1
Mallard    9 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Meadow Pipit    1
Mute Swan    14 - thirteen on the "Field Scrapes" and a single bird on the Lagoon
Oystercatcher    3 - a pair on one of the islands in the Lagoon and a single example on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Pied Wagtail    1
Reed Bunting    1 - perched on a Hawthorn bush, next to the path to the hide.
Shelduck    10 - eight on the "Field Scrapes" and two on the Lagoon
Skylark    2 - both heard singing over the site
Stock Dove    2 - both seen on the Lagoon shoreline
Swallow    3 - feeding over the Lagoon
Tufted Duck    9 - six on the Lagoon and three on the "Field Scrapes"
Whitethroat    1 - singing from within bushes next to car park
Woodpigeon    36
Yellowhammer    1 - singing whilst perched on the top of a Hawthorn bush next to the path to the hide.
Roe Deer    2 - male and female, both on the "Field Scrapes" area of site.

 

22nd May
Weather: Overcast with sunny intervals, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 13:20 - 15:00

The effect of the long spell of relatively dry weather has started to show, with many of the scrapes now dry and the water level in the lagoon lower than when I last visited site. This afternoon's visit found the following present:

Avocet    11 - nine adults and one chick were seen on the islands in the lagoon. A single adult was also present on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of the site.
Black-headed Gull    6 - all on the lagoon
Carrion Crow    2
Cormorant    1 - on the lagoon
Grey Heron    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Greylag Goose    57 - a flock of fifty-five birds dropped onto the lagoon. Two others were present on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of the site
Herring Gull    5 - all on the lagoon
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the "Field Scrapes" area of the site
Lapwing    5 - two on one of the islands in the lagoon, two on the "Field Scrapes" area and one on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of site
Linnet    4 - all feeding on the "Pylon Scrapes" area, adjacent to the path to the hide.
Little Egret    7 - six around the "Field Scrapes" and one on the "Pylon Scrapes".
Little Grebe    4 - two pairs on the lagoon. One pair is nesting, having built a nest on the lagoon shore, in front of the hide. 
Little Ringed Plover    2 - one on the "Field Scrapes" and one present on one of the islands in the lagoon.
Magpie    2
Mallard    9 - two on the lagoon and seven present on the "Field Scrapes".
Moorhen    1 - a single bird feeding on the lagoon shoreline. Not a common bird at Cress Marsh, with this being my first sighting of one on site!
Mute Swan    7 - two on the lagoon and five on the "Field Scrapes"
Oystercatcher    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    2 - both on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of site
Reed Bunting    2 - both perched on the fence, next to the path to the hide.
Shelduck    6 - four on the lagoon and two on the "Field Scrapes"
Skylark    2
Swallow    1
Tufted Duck    4 - two on the "Field Scrapes" and two on the lagoon
Wheatear    1 - male feeding on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Yellowhammer    1 - singing, perched on top of a Hawthorn bush next to the path to the hide
Roe Deer    2 - female on the "Field Scrapes" area and male on the "Hide Scrapes" area of site