Cress Marsh 2023

12th February
Weather: Overcast, warm, SW breeze
Time on site: 12:45-14:50

A visit earlier this afternoon found me recording my first ever Snow Bunting on site. The following were recorded during the visit:

Black-headed Gull    38 -  all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Blackbird    1
Buzzard    1
Carrion Crow    2
Common Gull    1
Common Sandpiper    1 - one one of the islands in the lagoon
Coot    1 - on the "Pylon scrapes"
Cormorant    1 - flew over site
Gadwall    7 - two on the "Pylon scrapes" and five on the "Field scrapes"
Green Sandpiper    1 - feeding on the "Field scrapes"
Grey Heron    1 - on the "Field scrapes"
Greylag Goose    160 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Herring Gull    4
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the "Field scrapes"
Lapwing    c300 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Linnet    6 - feeding on the "Field scrapes" area
Little Egret    1 - on the lagoon shore
Mallard    6 - four on the lagoon and two on the "Pylon scrapes"
Meadow Pipit    8 - feeding on the "Field scrapes" area
Mute Swan    4 - two on the "Pylon scrapes" and two on the lagoon
Peregrine    1 - perched on one of the Power Station chimneys
Pied Wagtail    7 - feeding on the "Field scrapes" area
Pink-footed Goose    3 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Shoveler    6 - four on the "Field scrapes" and two on the "Pylon scrapes"
Skylark    1
Snow Bunting    14 - a very mobile flock of at least fourteen birds, feeding on the islands in the lagoon. 
Starling    40
Stonechat    1 - perched on reeds in the "Hide scrapes" area
Teal    31 - seventeen on the "Field scrapes and fourteen on the lagoon
Wigeon    52 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Roe Deer    6 - all seen on the "Field scrapes" area of the site.

Nice photos! It was nice to catch up with you this afternoon, Nick.

Here are the Stonechats Jon....

5th February
Weather: Sunny, cool, N breeze
Time on site: 12:15-14:45

A very pleasant visit to site, this afternoon, found the following present:

Black-headed Gull    20 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Buzzard    1 - stood on top of the lagoon bank
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding along the lagoon shore
Cormorant    1 - flew in and landed on the lagoon
Gadwall    5 - three on the "Field scrapes" and two on the "Pylon scrapes"
Goldfinch    4 - feeding on the lagoon bank
Great Tit    1 - heard singing near the car parking area
Green Sandpiper    3 - all feeding around the "Field scrapes"
Grey Heron    1 - stood in the "Pylon scrapes" area
Greylag Goose    140 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Herring Gull    11 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Kestrel    1 - hunting over the site
Lapwing    35 - flock flew in and landed on the "Pylon scrapes"
Little Grebe    1 - on the lagoon
Magpie    2
Meadow Pipit    1
Mute Swan    4 - two on the "Pylon scrapes" and two on the "Field scrapes"
Peregrine    1 - perched on the Power Station
Pied Wagtail    3
Robin    1
Shoveler    4 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Starling    15
Stonechat    2 - a pair perched on the metal fence along side the path to the hide
Teal    94 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Wigeon    4 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Woodpigeon    10
Wren    1
Roe Deer    7 - all feeding on the "Field scrapes" area.
 

22nd January
Weather: Overcast, cold, SW breeze
Time on site: 13:15-15:00

An afternoon visit to the site found all scrapes frozen, with the lagoon being a mix of thin ice and open water. Species noted during the visit were:

Black-headed Gull    5 - all on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Blackbird    1
Buzzard    2 - perched on fence posts on opposite sides of the site
Carrion Crow    2
Fieldfare    1 - on the "Field scrapes" area
Gadwall    18 - all on the lagoon
Goldfinch    6 - small flock seen along the path to the hide
Great Black-backed Gull    7 - all on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Herring Gull    13 - all on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Lapwing    13 - eight on the "Field scrapes" area and five on one of the islands in the lagoon
Magpie    2
Mallard    4 - all on the lagoon
Mute Swan    2 - both on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Pied Wagtail    3 - all on islands in the lagoon
Robin    2 - both noted in the car parking area
Shoveler    7 - three on the "Pylon scrapes" area and four on the lagoon
Snipe    1 - flew onto the "Pylon scrapes" area
Song Thrush    1 - feeding around the car parking area
Sparrowhawk    1 - seen hunting around the site
Starling    30 - flock, mobile around the site
Stock Dove    1 - on one of the islands in the lagoon
Teal    39 - all on the lagoon
Wigeon    2 - both birds on the lagoon
Wren    1 - seen in the car parking area
Roe Deer    7 - herd "hunkered" down on the "Field scrapes" area near to the hide.

 

8th January
Weather: Overcast, cold, SW wind
Time on site: 11:55-13:15

My first visit of 2023, to a cold, breezy and generally quiet Cress Marsh. Recorded during my visit were:

Black-headed Gull    2 - both on the "Pylon scrapes" area
Blackbird    1
Carrion Crow    2
Common Sandpiper    1 - feeding around the shore of the lagoon
Cormorant    3 - two on the "Pylon scrapes" and a single bird on one of the islands in the lagoon
Goldfinch    8
Great Black-backed Gull    4 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Green Sandpiper    5 - all feeding on the "Field scrapes". This is my largest count of this species at Cress Marsh to date.
Greylag Goose    45 - flew low over site as I arrived. Possibly flushed by gun fire from clay pigeon shooting taking place at a neighbouring property
Herring Gull    6 - all on the "Pylon scrapes"
Meadow Pipit    14 - a flock feeding on the "Field scrapes" area
Mute Swan    1 - on the "Pylon scrapes"
Pheasant    2
Pied Wagtail    1
Pink-footed Goose    1 - a single bird sat on top of the lagoon bank, adjacent to the hide. The bird flew off as I approached the hide.
Teal     61 - all on the "Field scrapes"
Roe Deer    5 - herd all feeding on the "Field scrapes" area of site.