Cress Marsh 2023

2nd July

Weather: Sunny, warm, strong W wind
Time on site: 15:05-16:35

This afternoon's visit to Cress Marsh found a quiet site with very few species of birds present. The following were noted:

Black-headed Gull    1  - feeding on the "Field" scrapes
Canada Goose    5 - all on the lagoon bank
Carrion Crow    3
Grey Heron    1 - feeding around the lagoon
Greylag Goose    8 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Lapwing    4 - all around the "Pylon" scrapes
Lesser Black-backed Gull    4 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Linnet    2
Little Egret    4 - One on the "Field" scrapes and three feeding around the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    4 - two adults and two juveniles, all together on the "Field" scrapes
Mallard    11 - ten on the "Pylon" scrapes and a single female on the "Field" scrapes
Meadow Pipit    2
Mute Swan    8 - six on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    2
Shoveler    1 - female on the "Pylon" scrapes
Skylark    3 - singing over the "Field" scrapes
Stock Dove    2 - both on the "Pylon" scrapes area
Woodpigeon    7
Yellow Wagtail    2 - both following the resident herd of cattle around on the "Pylon" scrapes
Roe Deer    2 - both feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of the site

Butterflies noted along the path to the hide:
Large White    1
Meadow Brown    4
Ringlet    1

Attached are three photos showing views of the site - a view across the "Pylon" scrapes, a view from the hide looking across the "Field" scrapes and a view of the lagoon, again from the hide.

25th June
Weather: Sunny, warm (23C), S wind
Time on site: 06:35-07:50

First visit to the site in a couple of weeks and the water level continues to fall. The situation in the scrapes areas are as described in my last post, however, the lagoon water level is now low with shallow water in several areas of it (the Mute Swans could be seen standing up in parts of the lagoon). 

Noted during my visit were:

Black-headed Gull    1
Carrion Crow    3
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from the usual area on the boundary of the site, next to the railway line.
Coot    1 - feeding on the lagoon.
Cuckoo    1 - perched on a fence post alongside the path to the hide. This was the first Cuckoo I have seen at Cress Marsh.
Gadwall    3 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Goldfinch    3
Grey Heron    2 - Adult and juvenile bird feeding around the "Pylon" scrapes.
Greylag Goose    14 - all on the lagoon, including fur very young birds in the group.
Herring Gull    2 - both on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Lapwing    15
Lesser Black-backed Gull    2 - both on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Linnet    2
Little Egret    3 - two feeding around the "Pylon" scrapes and one in the "Field" scrapes area.
Magpie    1
Mallard    17 - seven on the "Pylon" scrapes and ten on the "Field" scrapes.
Mute Swan    7 - two on the lagoon and five on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Oystercatcher    2 - a pair on the "Pylon" scrapes.
Pied Wagtail    1
Sedge Warbler    2
Shoveler    1 - female on the lagoon.
Skylark    3
Song Thrush    1
Starling    4
Tufted Duck    2 - a pair on the lagoon.
Roe Deer    1 - seen feeding in the dried up "Hide" scrapes area.

Butterflies:
Meadow Brown    11 - all along the path to the hide.





 

11th June
Weather: Sunny, hot (22C), E breeze
Time on site: 13:00-14:45

With the prolonged period of dry weather, water levels on site have continued to drop. The "Field" and "Pylon" scrapes still hold water, but are now also showing large expanses of mud. The "Hide" scrapes area is now totally dry, with exposed mud baked hard. The lagoon still holds a good volume of water.

Recorded during this afternoon's visit:

Black-headed Gull    4 - two catching insects over the "Field" scrapes and two on the "Pylon" scrapes
Blackbird    1 - singing next to the car park
Buzzard    1 - soaring over the site
Canada Goose    3 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Carrion Crow    3
Chaffinch    1
Chiffchaff    2 - one singing from trees next to the car park. A second was heard singing from the Hawthorn hedge that forms the site boundary alongside the railway line
Coot    4 - three on the "Pylon" scrapes and one on the lagoon
Gadwall    1 - a single male on the "Pylon" scrapes
Grey Heron    3 - three around the "Pylon" scrapes
Greylag Goose    4 - one on the "Field" scrapes, one on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on one of the islands in the lagoon
Lapwing    5 - around site
Lesser Black-backed Gull    6 - four on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on one of the islands in the lagoon
Linnet    5 - a small flock flew onto the lagoon shore in front of the hide
Little Egret    3 - two on the "Field" scrapes and one on one of the islands in the lagoon
Little Ringed Plover    3 - two on the "Field" scrapes and one on the "Pylon" scrapes
Magpie    1
Mallard    2 - a pair were on the "Field" scrapes
Meadow Pipit    3
Mute Swan    19 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes and seventeen on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    2 - a pair on one of the islands in the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - seen perched on one of the chimney's at the nearby power station
Pied Wagtail    3
Reed Bunting    1 - seen on the path to the hide
Sedge Warbler    1 - heard singing from reeds in the ditch next to the car park
Shelduck    5 - four on the "Field" scrapes and one on the "Pylon" scrapes
Shoveler    1 - a single male on the lagoon
Skylark    3 - two singing over the site and one singing whilst perched on a fence post next to the path to the hide
Starling    2
Stock Dove    1 - feeding on the lagoon shore
Swallow    1
Woodpigeon    6
Yellow Wagtail    1 - feeding on the lagoon shore in front of the hide
Yellowhammer    2 - a pair seen along the path to the hide

Roe Deer    1 - feeding in the "Field" scrapes area

Small Heath butterfly - seen along the path to the hide.

 

4th June
Weather: Overcast, cool, E wind
Time on site: 13:00-14:55

Water levels on the scrapes have now fallen significantly, with most of the margins heavily churned up by the 42 cattle on site. The water level in the lagoon remains fairly high.
Noted during this afternoon's visit to the site:

Black-headed Gull    3 - all birds were on the "Pylon" scrapes
Blackbird    1
Buzzard    1 - soaring over the site
Canada Goose    5 - two adults and three juveniles seen feeding on the lagoon bank
Carrion Crow    6
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from the reeds / scrub that borders the site, next to the railway line
Chaffinch    1 - heard singing from trees by the car park
Chiffchaff    1 - heard singing from the Hawthorn hedge that borders the site, next to the railway line
Common Sandpiper    1 - seen feeding along the lagoon shore
Coot    2 - both birds were on the "Pylon" scrapes
Cormorant    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Gadwall    6 - five birds on the "Pylon" scrapes and a single male on the lagoon
Grey Heron    2 - both birds seen on islands in the lagoon
Greylag Goose    4 - all four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Herring Gull    7 - all birds on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lapwing    11 - birds scattered all around the site
Lesser Black-backed Gull    4 - two birds on one of the islands in the lagoon (nesting?) and two birds on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Egret    3 - two birds on the "Pylon" scrapes and a single bird feeding on the "Field" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Magpie    2
Mallard    26 - twenty two seen on the "Pylon" scrapes and four on the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    1 - in the "Field" scrapes area of the site
Mute Swan    12 - four on the "Field" scrapes, two on the "Pylon" scrapes and six on the lagoon 
Oystercatcher    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    3
Reed Bunting    2 - pair seen along the path t the hide
Sand Martin    2 - two seen feeding over the "Field" scrapes area of the site
Sedge Warbler    1 - heard singing from reeds in the ditch that borders the site, along South Marsh Road
Shelduck    6 - four on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on the lagoon
Skylark    2 
Starling    22 - flock of juvenile birds flying around the site
Tufted Duck    2 - a pair on the "Field" scrapes
Whitethroat    1 - seen perched, singing from bushes next to the car park
Woodpigeon    3
Yellow Wagtail    4 - all feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of the site
Yellowhammer    1 - seen along the path to the hide

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



 

28th May
Weather: Overcast, cool, NE breeze
Time on site: 05:55-07:05

A brief visit to the site first thing this morning found the following present:

Black-headed Gull    6 - one on the "Field" scrapes and fine on the lagoon
Buzzard    1 - flew across the site whilst being mobbed by Oystercatchers and Black-headed Gulls.
Canada Goose    20 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Carrion Crow    3
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from Reeds along the boundary of the site, next to the railway line
Chiffchaff    1 - heard singing from the Hawthorne hedge that forms the site boundary next to the railway line.
Coot    4 - all seen on the "Pylon" scrapes
Gadwall    1 - male seen on the "Field" scrapes
Goldfinch    1
Greylag Goose    7 - five on the "Field" scrapes and two on one of the islands in the lagoon
Herring Gull    1
Lapwing    6 - five on the "Pylon" scrapes and one on the "Field" scrapes.
Lesser Black-backed Gull    2 - pair seen on one of the islands in the lagoon
Little Egret    2 - both seen feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    1 - single bird flew onto the "Field" scrapes
Mallard    38 - twenty on the "Field" scrapes, ten on the "Pylon" scrapes and eight on the lagoon
Mute Swan    23 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes, ten on the "Field" scrapes and eleven on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    2 - pair seen on the "Pylon" scrapes
Pheasant    1
Reed Bunting    1 - seen along the path to the hide
Sedge Warbler    1 - heard singing from reeds in the ditch that runs alongside the path to the hide
Skylark    2 - singing over the site
Tufted Duck    5 - all on the lagoon
Yellow Wagtail    2 - both seen in the "Field" scrapes area
Yellowhammer    2 - one singing from trees in the car park. Second bird seen along the path to the hide
Roe Deer    3
 

21st May
Weather: Sunny, warm (18C), N wind
Time on site: 15:10-16:40

An afternoon visit to site found the following species recorded:

Avocet    8 - Four adults and four chicks on islands in the lagoon
Black-headed Gull    16 - on the lagoon and on islands in the lagoon
Black-tailed Godwit    105 - flock flew onto the "Pylon" scrapes
Blackbird    1
Canada Goose    2 - both on the "Field" scrapes
Coot    4 - all four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Gadwall    12 - nine on the "Pylon" scrapes and three on the "Field" scrapes
Goldfinch    2
Greylag Goose    5 - four on the "Pylon" scrapes and one on the "Field" scrapes
Herring Gull    17 - sixteen on the "Pylon" scrapes and one on the lagoon
Lapwing    7 - scattered around site
Lesser Black-backed Gull    2 - both on the lagoon
Little Egret    5 - four on the "Pylon" scrapes and one feeding along the ditch in front of the hide.
Mallard    9 - all on the lagoon
Mute Swan    21 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes, twelve on the "Field" scrapes and seven on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1 - bird sitting on a nest on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    2
Reed Bunting    1 - seen along the path to the hide
Shelduck    5 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes, one on the "Field" scrapes and two on one of the islands in the lagoon
Skylark    1
Swallow    1
Swift    1
Tufted Duck    15 - six on the "Field" scrapes and nine on the "Pylon" scrapes
Fox    1 - seen in the "Field" scrapes area of the site.