Thursday 5th April

During my visit between 7am and 8.05am it was chilly, frosty and sunny. There was a thick mist over the Lake.

A Chiff Chaff sang from behind the Park & Ride, and another sang from the Long Hedge. 2 Cormorants sat on ‘Cormorant’ Island and another 2 took off from the Lake. A Grey Heron fished in the Marsh and another sat on the old Alders in the middle of the Marsh. A Chiff Chaff sang from the Willows in the Marsh. A Pheasant called from Len Wood and another called from the Meadow. In the Meadow were 2 Linnets, which on my approach took off and flew east, and right in the middle of the Meadow was a pair of Mallard, I expect they were lost in the mist. A Grey heron fished along the Len.

3 Great Crested Grebes, and 3 Mute Swans, together with a few Canada Geese, Mallard, Coots and Moorhens, were the only birds visible through the mist. I did notice a few Black Headed Gulls and Common Gulls flying around through the mist. A Nuthatch was investigating a hole in a Sweet Chestnut in Mote House ‘View’, and another in one of the Oaks on Jenner’s Bank.

A total of 5 Chiff Chaffs were singing throughout the visit. There were lots of fry in the Len by the ‘Kingfisher’ Bridge.

Lets hope the winds change soon, so spring and summer migrants pass through.