Saturday 7th April

It was another sunny, chilly and frosty morning bteween 6.55am and 9.10am.

A Great Spotted Woodpeckers drummed on one of the Larches along Laurel Walk. A Chiff Chaff sang from behind the Park & Ride, and another sang from the Wet Woodland. A Cormorant flew onto the Lake, and another two arriving an hour later. A Chiff Chaff sang from the Marsh Alders. A Grey Heron perched on a low bough of a tree in the Marsh. 2 Shelduck flew onto the Lake at 8am from an easterly direction, plus a pair of Reed Buntings fed along the track. A Wren sang in the East Hedge and 1 Green Woodpecker climbed the Field Maple. A Pheasant called from Len Wood and the Meadow. A Great Spotted Woodpecker drummed from Len Wood and a Grey heron fished along the Len.

A scan of the Lake produced 6 Great Crested Grebes, and 7 Mute Swans, together with the usual Canada Geese, Mallard, Coots and Moorhens. There was a flock of Black Headed Gulls and Common Gulls also on the Lake, with a Lesser Black-backed Gull for company.

A Cormorant sat in the old Sweet Chestnuts on the Lakes edge, and a Grey Wagtail and a Mallard were on the Pond. A total of 5 Chiff Chaffs were singing throughout the visit. 2 Blackcaps were also singing. There were still lots of fry in the Len by the ‘Kingfisher’ Bridge, and a fisherman caught a 4lb and an 8 lb Bream whilst I stood at the Weir.