Cress Marsh 2023

31st December 
Weather: Light rain at first then sunshine, cool, SW wind
Time on site: 08:30 - 10:50

My first visit to Cress Marsh since early December and also my last last visit of 2023 found thirty species of birds present on site. The site is currently holding significant volumes of water. All of the scrapes are flooded, with several areas completely under water. The water level in the lagoon is the highest I have ever seen it, with the islands almost completely submerged (just two small patches of stones showing above the water).

Noted during the visit:

Black-headed Gull    6 - all on the lagoon
Blackbird    3
Blue Tit    1
Buzzard    1 - flying over the site
Carrion Crow    2
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding around the lagoon shore
Cormorant    1 - resting on one of the islands in the lagoon.
Gadwall    6 - four on the lagoon and two on the "Pylon" scrapes
Goldfinch    2
Great Black-back Gull    5 - all on the lagoon
Green Sandpiper    4 - all feeding along the back of the "Pylon" scrapes area
Greylag Goose    6 - flew onto the "Field" scrapes
Herring Gull    15 - all on the lagoon
Kestrel    1 - perched on power lines next to the lagoon
Little Grebe    2 - both on the lagoon
Magpie    1
Mallard    28 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Mute Swan    3 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes and in the ditch that runs alongside the path to the hide
Peregrine    1 - seen perched on the Power Station chimney
Pheasant    1
Redshank    2 - both feeding one one of the islands in the lagoon
Robin    1
Shelduck    3 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Shoveler    6 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Sparrowhawk    1 - seen perched on a beam in the "new" cattle shelter
Starling    70
Teal    79 - seventy-five on the "Field" scrapes and four on the lagoon
Tufted Duck    1 - on the lagoon
Wigeon    65 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Woodpigeon    15

Roe Deer    3 - grazing on the "Hide" scrapes area of the site.
 

I'm impressed by the loyalty of that common sandpiper.

3rd December
Weather : Overcast, freezing, SW breeze
Time on site: 09:55 - 11:30

A late morning visit to Cress Marsh found all of the scrapes and approximately 30% of the surface of the lagoon frozen over. Species noted during my visit were:

Black-headed Gull    45 - all on the lagoon
Black-tailed Godwit    3 - all feeding on the lagoon shore
Buzzard    1 - flew over the site
Carrion Crow    3
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shore
Gadwall    5 - all on the lagoon
Great Black-back Gull    2 - both on one of the islands in the lagoon
Greylag Goose    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Herring Gull    9 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the site
Lapwing    12 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Magpie    1
Mallard    16 - all on the lagoon
Mute Swan    10 - all on the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    1
Pochard    2 - two males, both on the lagoon
Shoveler    13 - all on the lagoon
Starling    50
Stock Dove    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Stonechat    1 - perched on a fence post along the path to the hide
Teal    40 - all on the lagoon
Tufted Duck    19 - all on the lagoon
Wigeon    50 - all on the lagoon
Wren    1 - seen along the path to the hide

 

wrote:

Good to see such a healthy wildfowl count at Cress Marsh which has often underwhelmed.



Has picked up lately. A couple of weeks ago we had a Short eared owl and a ringtail Hen Harrier (which hung around for a week).
 

Good to see such a healthy wildfowl count at Cress Marsh which has often underwhelmed.

Good numbers of mixed dabbling ducks on the main lagoon today, all other areas being iced over.
60 Widgeon
54 Teal
32 Shoveler
25 Gadwall
20 Tufted