Cress Marsh 2023

Hi Jon,
I was at Cress yesterday afternoon and saw a Great White Egret on the Field scrapes. It hopped out of sight as I passed it on the path. I also saw the sick Canada Goose and other birds you mentioned. Pleased to see the yellow wagtails. No waders again - in contrast to Killingholme Haven, where there are hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets and Redshank....
Elizabeth Davies

19th August
Weather: Sunny, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 17:45-19:00

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

Canada Goose    1 - a very sick bird on the lagoon shore in front of the hide. It looked like the bird was suffering from Avian Flu 
Carrion Crow    1
Goldfinch    4
Greylag Goose    7 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Linnet    c50 - a mobile flock feeding around the "Field" scrapes area of site
Little Egret    7 - six feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes and one feeding on the "Field" scrapes
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon
Mallard    12 - eight on the lagoon, two on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on the "Field" scrapes
Mute Swan    2 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes
Peregrine    2 - two juvenile birds over flew the "Field" scrapes
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    5 - flock following the herd of cattle around the "Field" scrapes area.
Starling    7 - small flock with the Wagtails, following the cattle around the "Field" scrapes area.
Stock Dove    2 - feeding in the "Hide" scrapes area.
Swallow    1 - single bird feeding over the "Pylon" scrapes area.
Wood Pigeon    3
Yellow Wagtail    12 - flock following the herd of cattle around the "Field" scrapes area.
Roe Deer    3 - two feeding in the "Hide" scrapes area and one feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of site.

Very disappointing of late.. which is hard to understand as the site does look habitable. Although the water levels are low, there is still ample food. I watched an L Egret yesterday constantly pulling small silver fish from the lagoon. There are always small birds around the perimeter of the lagoon hoovering up small insects and of late there has been Darters, Dragonflies and Damselflies. Wild flowers are popping up and the grasses are seeding. 

The only reasons I can honestly think of, is that there are easier places on easier routes that birds are visiting. The success of Novartis is purely down to its location next to the coast, and because its on the route most birds will follow while moving. 

I hope that as August turns into September we will see more visitors dropping in, especially as migration kicks in.

I know and having watched the site since Summer 2019, when access was first granted by NELC, the irony certainly isn't lost on me!
Having said that, over the last four years the site has attracted a few interesting species with the site list currently standing at 150 species recorded.

The irony is that the site was created primarily to provide habitat for waders.

 

13th August
Weather: Overcast, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 14:10 - 16:00

Despite conditions on site looking ideal, the Autumn migration now in progress and a making tide on the nearby Humber estuary,  once again, not a single species of wader was present on site!

Species present during my visit were:

Canada Goose    50 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Carrion Crow    2
Collared Dove    1
Cormorant    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Feral Pigeon    1
Grey Heron    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Greylag Goose    94 - sixty-four on the "Field" scrapes and thirty on the "Pylon" scrapes
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the "Pylon" scrapes area of site
Linnet    40 - a very mobile flock feeding around the site
Little Egret    5 - three feeding around the lagoon and two feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Magpie    2
Mallard    12 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Meadow Pipit    2 - seen along the path to the hide
Mute Swan    5 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Pied Wagtail    1
Reed Bunting    1 - seen along the path to the hide
Shoveler    4 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Swallow    2
Woodpigeon    7
Yellow Wagtail    5 - all seen next to the path to the hide

Roe Deer    3 - feeding in the "Hide" scrapes area of the site.