Cress Marsh 2023

6th August
Weather: Overcast with sunny intervals, warm, NW wind
Time on site: 13:25 - 15:30

A couple of hours on site earlier this afternoon found the following present:

Carrion Crow    2
Common Sandpiper    2 - both feeding along the lagoon shore
Grey Heron    2 - both in the "Pylon" scrapes area of the site
Greylag Goose    11 - nine on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on the lagoon
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the "Pylon" scrapes
Linnet    8 - flock seen along the path to the hide
Little Egret    5 - three in the "Field" scrapes area, one in the "Pylon" scrapes area and one wading in the lagoon.
Little Grebe    2 - one on the lagoon and one on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Mallard    36 - twenty-two on the "Pylon" scrapes, eight on the lagoon and five on the "Field" scrapes
Mute Swan    3 - all on the lagoon
Peregrine    2 - two juvenile birds. They both flew down onto the site from perches on the nearby power station's chimneys. They both spent some time walking and "bounding" along the lagoon shoreline, investigating and picking up small stones and pouncing on sticks as they moved around.
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    5
Reed Bunting    1 - along the path to the hide
Shoveler    10 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Woodpigeon    30
Roe Deer    2 - both seen feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of the site.

 

30th July
Weather: Sunny with overcast intervals, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 13:30-15:00

The recent periods of heavy rain have helped to raise the water level in both the site lagoon and also many of the scrapes and despite ideal looking conditions, the birds failed to oblige, with the site being very quiet during my visit!
Noted during my visit:

Black-headed Gull    1 - on the lagoon
Carrion Crow    3
Herring Gull    7 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lesser Black-backed Gull    2 - both on one of the islands in the lagoon
Linnet    8 
Little Egret    7 - two feeding on the "Field" scrapes, four on the "Pylon" scrapes and two feeding around the lagoon
Little Grebe    2 - one on the lagoon and one on the "Field" scrapes
Magpie    1
Mallard    3 - all on the lagoon
Mute Swan    2 - both on the lagoon
Starling    1
Woodpigeon    16
Yellowhammer    1
 

23rd July
Weather: Overcast with rain showers, warm, WSW wind
Time on site: 08:55 - 10:45

Today's visit to Cress Marsh found the following present:

Carrion Crow    3
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shore
Greenfinch    1 
Lapwing    2 - both on the "Field" scrapes
Little Egret    12 - one on the "Field" scrapes, on feeding on the lagoon shore and ten on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    3 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Magpie    1
Mallard    19 - eight on the "Pylon" scrapes and eleven on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    1
Mute Swan    6 - all on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - flew low over the "Field" scrapes heading in a SE direction
Pied Wagtail    5 - four in the "Field" scrapes area and one on one of the islands in the lagoon
Reed Bunting    2 - both on the path to the hide
Sedge Warbler    2 - both heard singing from ditches around site
Skylark    1 - heard singing over site
Swift    25 - group seen over the "Field" scrapes before flying off in a SE direction
Woodpigeon    9
Yellowhammer    1
Roe Deer    5 - one feeding in the "Pylon" scrapes area, three feeding in the "Field" scrapes area and one feeding in the "Hide" scrapes area of site.

 

16th July
Weather: Overcast, warm, strong SW wind
Time on site: 12:35-14:25

Noted during a very blustery visit to Cress Marsh this afternoon:

Black-headed Gull    3 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Blackbird    1
Canada Goose    5 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Carrion Crow    1
Goldfinch    1
Greylag Goose    6 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Herring Gull    2 - both on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lapwing    9 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lesser Black-backed Gull    1
Little Egret    7 - three on the "Pylon" scrapes, two on the "Field" scrapes and two on the lagoon shore
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon. My first record of this species on site in several months.
Little Ringed Plover    7 - all feeding around the "Field" scrapes
Mallard    39 - seven on the "Pylon" scrapes and thirty-two on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    5
Mute Swan    9 - all on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - flew low over the lagoon, attacking a Carrion Crow that was resting on one of the islands! 
Pied Wagtail    1
Sedge Warbler    1 
Skylark    1
Swallow    2
Woodpigeon    16
Yellowhammer    1
Roe Deer    1

Butterflies seen along the path to the hide:

Large White    2
Meadow Brown    4
Small Heath    1
 

Thanks Jon - always good to see a pic reminder of the habitat. 

As long as you enjoyed the visit, numbers not that important but some nice birds all same