Cress Marsh 2023

16th April
Weather: Sunny, warm (16C), SE breeze
Time on site: 13:50 - 15:45

A pleasant afternoon visit, to a warm and sunny Cress Marsh, found the following present:

Avocet    9 - two on the "Pylon" scrapes and seven on one of the islands in the lagoon, three of which were seen sitting on nests.
Black-headed Gull    9 - two on the "Field" scrapes and seven on one of the islands in the lagoon
Blackbird    1 
Blackcap    1 - heard singing from within bushes next to the car parking area
Buzzard    1 - seen soaring over the site
Canada Goose    1 - on the lagoon
Carrion Crow    4
Cetti's Warbler    1 - heard singing from reeds on the boundary of the site, adjacent to the railway line
Chaffinch    1
Chiffchaff    1 - heard calling from the hedgerow adjacent to the railway line
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shore
Cormorant    2 - both on one of the islands in the lagoon
Curlew    17 - sixteen feeding on the "Field" scrapes and a single bird seen on one of the islands in the lagoon
Gadwall    7 - one on the "Field" scrapes, two on the "Pylon" scrapes and four on the lagoon
Greylag Goose    19 - five on the "Field" scrapes and fourteen on the lagoon
Herring Gull    14 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Lapwing    10 - five on the "Field" scrapes, three on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on islands in the lagoon
Lesser Black-backed Gull    19 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    2 - both seen on the "Pylon" scrapes
Magpie    3
Mallard    8 - five on the "Field" scrapes and three on the "Pylon" scrapes
Marsh Harrier    1 - female flew across the site (NE to SW)
Mute Swan    8 - all on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - seen perched on one of the Power Station chimneys
Pied Wagtail    5
Pink-footed Goose    1 - this bird has been on site for several weeks now and as per usual, was seen on the "Field" scrapes
Robin    1
Shelduck    22 - four on the "Field" scrapes, four on the "Pylon" scrapes and fourteen on the lagoon
Shoveler    9 - five on the "Field" scrapes and four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Skylark    2 - heard singing over the site
Teal    8 - two on the "Field" scrapes, five on the "Pylon" scrapes and one on the lagoon

Roe Deer    3 - seen grazing in the "Field" scrapes area.

9th April
Weather: Sunny with light cloud, warm (12C), SE wind
Time on site: 12:50-14:25

Today's visit to site found the following present:

Avocet    8 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Black-headed Gull    10 - one on the "Field" scrapes, four on the "Pylon" scrapes and five on one of the islands in the lagoon
Carrion Crow    2
Chiffchaff    1 - heard calling from the hedge row that borders the "Field" scrapes area
Common Gull    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Curlew    5 - all seen feeding on the "Field" scrapes area
Gadwall    10 - four on the "Field" scrapes, two on the "Hide" scrapes, two on the "Pylon" scrapes and two on the lagoon
Goldfinch    2
Green Sandpiper    1 - on the "Pylon" scrapes
Grey Heron    1 - flew onto the "Field" scrapes
Greylag Goose    9 - five on the "Field" scrapes and four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Herring Gull    3 - two on the "Field" scrapes and a single bird on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lapwing    13 - ten on the "Field" scrapes and three on the "Pylon" scrapes
Lesser Black-backed Gull    2 - one on the "Field" scrapes and one on the "Pylon" scrapes
Linnet    7 - flock observed feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of site
Little Egret    1 - on the "Field" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    2 - both seen on the "Field" scrapes
Mallard    8 - four on the "Field" scrapes and four on the "Pylon" scrapes
Mute Swan    9 - one on the "Field" scrapes and eight on the lagoon
Pheasant    1
Pied Wagtail    4
Pink-footed Goose    1 - a single bird on the "Field" scrapes
Reed Bunting    1 - seen perched on the fence adjacent to the path to the hide
Shelduck    14 - five on the "Field" scrapes, five on the "Pylon" scrapes and four on one of the islands in the lagoon
Shoveler    17 - ten on the "Field" scrapes, six on the "Pylon" scrapes and a single male on the lagoon
Skylark    2
Teal    24 - ten on the "Field" scrapes and fourteen on the "Pylon" scrapes
Tufted Duck    2 - a pair on the lagoon
Wigeon    2 - one on the "Field" scrapes and one on the "Pylon" scrapes
Woodpigeon    3
Roe Deer    2 - both seen sunbathing on the lagoon bank.

 

Yesterday morning...

4th April
Weather: Sun, warm, SE breeze
Time on site: 14:45-17:00

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

Avocet    6 - all on one of the islands in the lagoon
Black-headed Gull    7 - two on the "Field" scrapes and five on one of the islands in the lagoon
Buzzard    4 - seen soaring over the site
Carrion Crow    1
Chaffinch    1 
Chiffchaff    2 - one heard singing from the hedgerow that borders the "Field" scrapes, the second one was heard singing from the trees by the car parking area
Cormorant    1 - on the lagoon
Curlew    20 - all seen feeding on the "Field" scrapes
Gadwall    9 - four seen on the "Field" scrapes and five on the lagoon
Green Sandpiper    2 - both seen feeding on the "Pylon" scrapes
Greylag Goose    8 - all seen on the "Field" scrapes
Herring Gull    3
Lapwing    13 - six on the "Field" scrapes, six on the "Pylon" scrapes and a single bird on one of the islands in the lagoon
Lesser Black-backed Gull    3 - one on the "Field" scrapes and two on the lagoon
Linnet    24 - flock seen feeding in the "Field" scrapes area of site
Little Egret    1 - on the "Field" scrapes
Little Ringed Plover    2 - one on the "Pylon" scrapes and one on the "Field" scrapes
Magpie    2
Mallard    8 - six on the "Field" scrapes and two on the "Pylon" scrapes
Mute Swan    7 - two on the "Field" scrapes and five on the lagoon
Pied Wagtail    2
Pink-footed Goose    1 - single bird on the "Field" scrapes
Reed Bunting    2 - a pair seen perched on the fence that runs alongside the path to the hide
Rook    1 - feeding on top of the lagoon bank
Shelduck    17 - four on the "Field" scrapes, four on the "Pylon" scrapes and nine on the lagoon
Shoveler    12 - all on the "Field" scrapes
Skylark    2 - singing over the site
Stock Dove    1
Teal    24 - four on the "Field" scrapes and twenty on the "Pylon" scrapes
Tufted Duck    2 - pair on the lagoon
Wigeon    14 - ten on the "Field" scrapes and four on the lagoon
Roe Deer    1 - seen in the "Hide" scrapes area of site.
 

Unfortunately not Jon. It was a brief sighting apparently, witnessed only by Geoff and his wife.
 

Did you see the Alpine Swift earlier, Nick?