Cress Marsh 2022

18th April
Weather: Sunny, warm, SSW breeze
Time on site: 17:05-18:30

A brief visit to site this evening found the following present:

Avocet    2 - both feeding around on of the islands in the lagoon.
Black-headed Gull    15 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon.
Buzzard    1 - over site
Canada Goose    3 - all on far bank of the lagoon
Cormorant    1 - resting on one of the islands in the lagoon
Greylag Goose    4 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Herring Gull    45 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Lapwing    11 - various locations around the site. 
Lesser Black-backed Gull    20 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Little Egret    1 - feeding on the "Field Scrapes" area
Little Grebe    5 - all on the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    6 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of the site
Magpie    1
Mallard    4 - all on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    1 - perched on fence next to main path
Mute Swan    6 - all on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    2 - both on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    4 - various locations around site
Shelduck    20 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of the site
Skylark    4 - singing over the site
Stock Dove    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Teal    8 - four on the "Field Scrapes" and four on the lagoon
Tufted Duck    11 - six on the "Field Scrapes" and five on the lagoon
Wheatear    4 - all on the "Pylon Scrapes" area of site
Woodpigeon    24
Yellow Wagtail    11 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Roe Deer    2 
 

1st April
Weather: Sun, cold, NE Wind
Time on site: 16:35-18:00

A visit to site after work found the following species present:

Black-headed Gull    30 - all on lagoon islands
Blackbird    1 - singing in car parking area
Buzzard    1 - perched on fence post on the edge of the "Field Scrapes" area
Canada Goose    2 - both on the "Field Scrapes" area
Carrion Crow    2
Cormorant    1 - resting on one of the lagoon islands
Gadwall    6 - two on the "Field Scrapes" + four on the lagoon
Goldfinch    4 - feeding in the treesby the car parking area
Great Black-back Gull    5 -all on one of the lagoon islands
Green Sandpiper    1 - feeding around one of the scrapes in the "Hide Scrapes" area
Greylag Goose    12 - all on the lagoon
Herring Gull    28 - all on one of the lagoon islands
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the "Field Scrapes" area
Lapwing    13 - various locations around site
Lesser Black-back Gull    8 - all on one of the lagoon islands
Linnet    19 - flock seen over the "Field Scrapes" area
Little Egret    3 - all very mobile and seen feeding at various locations around site
Little Grebe    5 - all on the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    2 - both seen on the "Field Scrapes" area
Magpie    2
Mallard    8 - all on the "Field Scrapes"
Mute Swan    6 - one on the "Pylon Scrapes" area + five on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1 - seen on one of the lagoon islands
Pheasant    2
Pied Wagtail    8 - all seen on the "Field Scrapes" area
Redshank    2 - both feeding around the lagoon
Reed Bunting    1 - single bird seen in the "Hide Scrapes" area
Shelduck    18 - all on the lagoon
Shoveler    8 - four on the "Field Scrapes" + four on the lagoon
Skylark    2 - heard singing over the site
Starling    15
Teal    10 - all on the lagoon
Tufted Duck    10 - five on the "Field Scrapes" + five on the lagoon.
Woodpigeon    150 
Roe Deer    3 - a male was seen sheltering from the wind in vegetation on the "Hide Scrapes" area + two females were on the "Field Scrapes" area of site.

 

Yesterday morning I visited Cress Marsh for the first time for a while.

Birdlife definitely seems to have improved on this mitigation site which is managed by North East Lincolnshire Council.

Shoveler, teal, gadwall, tufted duck  and wigeon were among the conspicuous duck species.

There were also a few lapwings and two little ringed plovers.

However, passerines were few and I didn't see other waders - the group for which the site has been created. Their absence is a matter that surely needs a formal ecological assessment so lessons can be learned about habitat location and creation. 

The only other birder present was Geoff Beasley who is one of the Cress regulars.

He was a pal of the late Bill Brooking and ( as previously posted by Phil Espin)  is still hoping a local birder might be interested in buying Bill's optics. He is handling their sale on behalf of Bill's widow, Liz.

There is a pair of Zeiss Conquest SF 8x42 bins  and a Opticron MM4 77GA scope with a 18-54 eyepiece and stay-on case. Sadly, the scope might never have been used by Bill, and he never had much chance to use the bins either. 

If anybody is interested in discussing these optics with Geoff, he can be contacted at geoffbeasley95@gmail.com

20th March
Weather: Overcast, cool, Easterly breeze
Time on site: 13:55 - 15:00

My first visit to site in several weeks, found the following present:

Black-headed Gull    12 - all on the lagoon islands
Buzzard    1 - soaring over the wood at the back of the site
Carrion Crow    4
Chiffchaff    1 - singing by car parking area
Cormorant    1 - on one of the lagoon islands
Curlew    1 - on "Pylon scrapes" area of site
Gadwall    7 - all on the "Field scrapes" area of site
Great Black-back Gull    1 - on the lagoon
Great Tit    1
Grey Heron    1 - flew onto the "Pylon scrapes"
Greylag Goose    25 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Herring Gull    26 - all on the lagoon
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the site
Lapwing    9 - all on one of the lagoon islands
Lesser Black-back Gull    9 - on one of the lagoon islands
Little Egret     3 - various locations around site
Little Grebe    3 - all on the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    1 - on the "Field scrapes". First one of the year!
Magpie    1
Mallard    6 - on the "Field scrapes"
Mute Swan    7 - one on the "Pylon scrapes" and six on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - seen perched on the Power Station.
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    2
Reed Bunting    5 - all seen along the path to the hide
Robin    1 
Shelduck    6 - on the "Field scrapes" and lagoon
Shoveler    4 - on the "Field scrapes"
Skylark    2 - singing over the site
Stock Dove    2 - on one of the llagoon islands
Teal    12 - on the "Field scrapes" 
Tufted Duck    4 - on the "Field scrapes"
Woodpigeon    present
Roe Deer    3 - all seen on the "Field scrape" area.

 

26th February
Weather: sun, cold, S wind
Time on site: 13:30 - 15:15

Seen during my first visit to site in several weeks:

Black-headed Gull    30 - all on the lagoon
Blackbird    2 - around the car parking area
Buzzard    2 - over the site
Canada Goose    2 - feeding with flock of Greylag Geese on the lagoon bank.
Carrion Crow    2
Gadwall    2
Goldfinch    2
Great Black-back Gull    2 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Green Sandpiper    2 - feeding around the edge of one of the scrapes in the "Field Scrapes" area of site.
Grey Heron    1
Greylag Goose    80 - feeding along the lagoon bank
Herring Gull    123 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Kestrel    1
Lapwing    15 
Lesser Black-back Gull    5 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Little Egret    2 - one feeding on the "Hide Scrapes", one on the "Field Scrapes".
Little Grebe    3 - all on the lagoon
Magpie    3
Mallard    2
Meadow Pipit    1 - on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Mute Swan    9 - Seven on the lagoon and two on the "Hide Scrapes".
Pied Wagtail    4 - all on the "Field Scrapes" area of site
Pink-footed Goose    1 - single bird feeding with Greylag and Canada Geese on lagoon bank.
Redshank    2 - feeding on the "Field Scrapes".
Robin    1
Shelduck    2 - both on the "Field Scrapes"
Shoveler    11 - birds on the lagoon and "Field Scrapes"
Skylark    2 - singing over the site
Song Thrush    1 - in the car parking area
Starling    c50
Stock Dove    6 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Teal    53 - birds on the lagoon and "Field Scrapes"
Tufted Duck    17 - all on the lagoon
Wigeon    27 - all feeding on the "Field Scrapes"
Woodpigeon    c200
Roe Deer    4
 

6th February
Weather: Sunny with showers, cold, strong W wind
Time on site: 11:40 - 13:15

First visit in a couple of weeks and it was a bit breezy to say the least!
Noted during my visit:

Black-headed Gull    1
Buzzard    1 - perched on a fence post in the lee of the boundary hedge, along the edge of the Pylon scrape area.
Carrion Crow    2
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding on the Field scrape area.
Gadwall    7 - all on the lagoon
Great Black-back Gull    3
Greylag Goose    13 - all on the Field scrapes
Herring Gull    20
Lapwing    22 - all on the Field scrapes
Linnet    10 - feeding on the Field scrapes area.
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon
Magpie    2
Mallard    5 - all on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    2 - feeding on the Field scrapes area
Mute Swan    6 - three on the Field scrapes and 3 on the lagoon.
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    3
Pochard    8 - all on the lagoon (5 male and 3 female)
Redshank    3 - two on the Pylon scrapes and one feeding around the lagoon
Rock Pipit    1 - feeding on one of the islands in the lagoon. First example I have seen at Cress Marsh.
Shelduck    2 - on the lagoon
Shoveler    4 - all on the lagoon
Skylark    2
Stock Dove    5 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Teal    82 - all on the Field scrapes
Tufted Duck    20 - all on the lagoon
Wigeon    27 - all on the Field scrapes
Woodpigeon    5
Roe Deer    4 - on the Pylon scrap area, sheltering out of the wind 

No sign of the Iceland Gull that has been recorded on site over the last couple of weeks.