Cress Marsh 2023

24th September
Weather: Overcast, warm (20C) with a strong S wind
Time on site: 12:45-14:20

My first visit to the site in a couple of weeks. Water levels were looking good, with most of the scrapes flooded. It looks like work has been taking place to modify / improve the scrapes, with quantities of earth having been moved around the site. Given that a bulldozer was parked up, I guess that the work is continuing into next week. In terms of bird life, the site was very quiet and this may be as a result of disturbance caused by the described work taking place on the site.

Noted during my visit were:

Black-headed Gull    1
Carrion Crow    2
Collared Dove    1
Greylag Goose    3 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Kestrel    1 - perched on power cables above the "Hide" scrapes
Linnet    70 - a mobile flock, feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of the site
Little Egret    4 - one feeding on the "Field" scrapes and three feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Grebe    4 - all on the lagoon
Magpie    2
Meadow Pipit    5 - feeding around the "Field" scrapes" area
Mute Swan    6 - two on the "Field" scrapes and four on the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    5 - feeding with the Meadow Pipits around the "Field" scrapes area
Shoveler    3 - all on the lagoon
Teal    17 - all on the lagoon
Wigeon    3 - all on the lagoon
Roe Deer    2 - both feeding around the "Field" scrapes area.

 

10th September
Weather: light mist, hot and humid, SE breeze
Time on site: 18;15-19:15

A brief visit to site this evening found an increase in the number of wildfowl present:

Buzzard    1 - flew over the site
Common Gull    12 - flew over the site towards the Humber.
Gadwall    42 - all on the lagoon
Goldfinch    5
Little Egret    6 - Two feeding on the "Field" scrapes and four feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Grebe    3 - all three on the lagoon
Magpie    3
Mallard    9 - all on the lagoon
Mute Swan    8 - all on the lagoon
Pheasant    2
Pied Wagtail    1
Pochard    1 - single male on the lagoon
Shoveler    20 - all on the lagoon
Teal    91 - all on the lagoon
Tufted Duck    2 - pair on the lagoon
Wigeon    3 - all three on the lagoon
Wood Pigeon    2

Roe Deer    2 - one feeding in the "Field" scrapes area and another feeding in the "Hide" scrapes area.
 

3rd September
Weather: Sunny, hot, SW breeze
Time on site: 14:45-15:55

A brief afternoon visit to the site found the following present:

Buzzard    1 - soaring over the site
Carrion Crow    2
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shoreline.
Gadwall    10 - all on the lagoon
Goldfinch    4
Linnet    5
Little Egret    10 - eight on the "Pylon" scrapes, 1 on the "Field" scrapes and one present on one of the islands in the lagoon.
Little Grebe    4 - all on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    2
Mute Swan    15 - all on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - flew over the site from the direction of Stallingborough Power Station.
Pied Wagtail    1
Shoveler    10 - all on the lagoon
Sparrowhawk    1 - flew low over the site
Stock Dove    1
Teal    7 - all on the lagoon
Woodpigeon    11

 

Excellent!

Things starting to pick up at Cress. Two GWE been present over the last week, and various waders dropping in regularly over the last week. Nice to catch a nice Wood sandpiper on site today.

22nd August
Weather: Sunny, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 12:25-14:10

An early afternoon visit to site found the following present:

Buzzard    1 - soaring over the site
Carrion Crow    2
Great Black-back Gull    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Great White Egret    2 - both feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Grey Heron    1 - feeding around the lagoon shore
Greylag Goose    12 - Five on the "Field" scrapes and seven on the "Pylon" scrapes
Herring Gull    4 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Kestrel    1 - seen hunting over the "Hide" scrapes
Little Egret    6 - all feeding around the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon
Mallard    7 - all on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    2 - both in the "Field" scrapes area of the site
Mute Swan    8 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Stock Dove    1
Swallow    2 - feeding over the lagoon
Tufted Duck    1 - a male, on the lagoon
Woodpigeon    40 - flock flew over the site

Roe Deer    1 - seen feeding in the "Field" scrapes area 
Mouse Moth    1 - seen inside the hide