Cress Marsh 2023

One can only speculate about what impact removal of the pylons might have.
See attachment

8th May
Weather: Sunny, warm, SW wind
Time on site: 09:20-11:00

A visit to site this morning, found the following present:

Avocet    14 - one on the "Field" scrapes and thirteen on the lagoon islands.
Black-headed Gull    20 - two on the "Hide" scrapes and eighteen on one of the islands in the lagoon
Blackbird    1 - in the car parking area
Buzzard    2 - soaring over the neighbouring farm
Carrion Crow    2
Chiffchaff    1 - heard singing from within the trees by the car park
Curlew    3 - roosting on the far bank of the lagoon
Gadwall    10 - all on the lagoon
Golden Plover    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes area of the site
Greylag Goose    5 - one on the "Pylon" scrapes and four on the "Field" scrapes
Herring Gull    5 - one on the "Pylon" scrapes and four on one of the islands in the lagon
Lapwing    11 - scattered around the site
Little Egret    1 - feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    2 - a pair on the "Field" scrapes
Magpie    1
Mallard    7 - three on the "Field" scrapes and four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Meadow Pipit    2 - two seen in the "Field" scrapes area of the site
Mute Swan    19 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes and seventeen on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1 - one on one of the islands in the lagoon
Robin    1 - in the car parking area
Sedge Warbler    2 
Shelduck    1
Skylark    4 
Tufted Duck    10 - four on the "Pylon" scrapes and six on the lagoon
Yellowhammer    1 - heard singing from the hedgerow that borders the "Pylon" scrapes
Roe Deer    4 - herd seen sheltering from the wind in the lee of the bank bordering the "Pylon" scrapes

 

7th May
Weather: Sunny, warm, S breeze
Time on site: 13:40-15:40

This afternoon's visit to an uncharacteristically warm Cress Marsh, found the following present:

Avocet    13 - one on the "Field" scrapes and twelve on one of the islands in the lagoon. Several were sitting on nests.
Black-headed Gull    28 - three on the "Field" scrapes and twenty-five on one of the islands in the lagoon. Several were seen to be sitting on nests
Black-tailed Godwit    27 - all seen to be feeding along the shore line of one of the islands in the lagoon
Buzzard    1 - soaring over site
Carrion Crow    2
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from reeds on the boundary of the site.
Chaffinch    1
Chiffchaff    1 - heard singing from trees next to the car park
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shore
Cormorant    2 - both on one of the islands in the lagoon
Gadwall    15 - ten on the "Field" scrapes and five on the lagoon
Golden Plover    1 - a single bird on the "Pylon" scrapes area
Goldfinch    2
Greylag Goose    2
Herring Gull    10 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lapwing    16 - scattered around site
Lesser Black-backed Gull    12 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Linnet    1
Little Egret    2 - both on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    2 - both seen on one of the islands in the lagon
Magpie    2
Mallard    11 - six on the "Pylon" scrapes, four on the "Field" scrapes and one on one of the islands in the lagoon
Meadow Pipit    2
Mistle Thrush    1 - seen overflying the car park. My first record on site
Mute Swan    15 - one on the "Pylon" scrapes and fourteen on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1 - sitting on a nest on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    2
Reed Bunting    1 - perched in a Hawthorn bush adjacent to the path to the hide
Sedge Warbler    2 
Shelduck    4
Skylark    1
Song Thrush    1 - singing from trees by the car park
Stock Dove    2
Tufted Duck    7 - three on the "Pylon" scrapes and four on the lagoon
Wheatear    1 - perched on a fence post near to the hide
Yellow Wagtail    1 - seen on the footpath leading to the hide
Roe Deer    4 - herd seen grazing on the "Field" scrapes area

Butterflies noted on site:
Small White    4
Brimstone    1
Orange Tip    1 
 

30th April
Weather: Overcast, warm (17C), S wind
Time on site: 14:40-17:00

My first visit to site for a couple of weeks, found the following present:

Avocet    16 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Black-headed Gull    64 - Fifty-nine on the lagoon and five on the "Pylon" scrapes
Black-tailed Godwit    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Buzzard    1 - soaring over the site
Carrion Crow    2
Chaffinch    1
Collared Dove    2
Common Gull    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Cormorant    3 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Curlew    2 - two feeding on the "Field" scrapes
Gadwall    16 - fourteen on the lagoon and two on the "Pylon" scrapes
Green Sandpiper    1 - feeding on the "Field" scrapes area
Greylag Goose    15 - seven on the "Pylon" scrapes and eight on the lagoon
Herring Gull    63 - seventeen on one of the islands in the lagoon and forty-six on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lapwing    8
Lesser Black-backed Gull    10 - six on one of the islands in the lagoon and four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Little Egret    1 - flew onto the "Field" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    2 - both seen feeding on the "Field" scrapes area
Magpie    3
Mallard    7
Meadow Pipit    1 
Mute Swan    20 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes and eighteen on the lagoon
Oystercatcher    1- on one of the islands in the lagoon
Pheasant    2
Pied Wagtail    2 
Robin    1 - heard singing from hedge by the car park
Sedge Warbler    2 - heard singing from within reeds in the ditch adjacent to the site path
Shelduck    6 -  three on one of the islands in the lagoon and three on the "Field" scrapes
Skylark    4
Starling    25
Stock Dove    2 - both on the "Field" scrapes area
Teal    12 - all on the "Pylon" scrapes
Tufted Duck    8 - all on the lagoon
Wheatear    6 - all six were seen perched on fence posts along the path to the hide
Yellow Wagtail    1 - seen on the path to the hide
Roe Deer    5 - herd seen grazing on the "Field" scrapes area of site.

Mine needs a "poachers pocket" lol

Excellent - thanks Nick.