Tuesday, 23 September 2014

TURNSTONE fly through.....

TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
 
A very light northwesterly wind prevailed throughout the day, the high pressure resulting in clear blue skies and warm sunshine
 
At WILSTONE RESERVOIR, the undoubted highlight was a mixed flock of small waders that came in from the east at around 1030, flying around for about 5 minutes before finally disappearing to the NW at 1035. The flock consisted of a single TURNSTONE, 5 Ringed Plover and 7 Dunlin.


Since my last visit about a week ago, the reservoir has dropped dramatically further, with the Jetty spit now almost complete. Other waders present included a single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, COMMON SANDPIPER and 4 Ringed Plover, as well as 160+ Lapwing, while wildfowl had really increased, with the 44 Mute Swans, 2 Whooper Swans and lone juvenile Common Shelduck joined by 16 PINTAIL, 156 Eurasian Wigeon, 438 Teal and 57 Pochard.
 
Other species noted included 21+ Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 41 Sinensis Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 9 Grey Heron and 10 Pied Wagtail whilst evidence of Vizmig came in the form of 45 Swallows, 5 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.














Over at TRINGFORD RESERVOIR, Little Grebes have successfully bred (adults feeding young with 5 birds in total), with the Great Crested Grebe pair still feeding one of their young. A single Little Egret was there, as well as several roosting Sinensis, all 7 Mute Swans, 160 Coot, 4 Red-crested Pochard, 24 Gadwall, 58 Teal, 7 Wigeon and 15 Shoveler. Less frequently observed species included 2 Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Red Kite, Common Kingfisher, 5 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Pied Wagtails and a Stock Dove.






STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR was still very low and held 1 Little Egret, 58 Teal, 15 Shoveler, 11 Pochard, 83 Tufted Duck, 6 Mute Swan, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 16 Moorhen and 132 Coot, with 7 Linnet overhead.
 

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