Friday, August 10, 2007

Friday 10th August

What a gorgeous morning it is today. Autumn is certainly just round the corner, if not already here! My visit was between 6.40am and 7.55am, it was rather chilly to begin with, but it wasn’t long before the Sun started to warm things up. Upon my arrival along Laurel Walk the ticking and singing of Robins was so loud that almost no other bird song or call could be heard. It seemed that every Yew, Hazel and Holly held a ‘Red-breast’ singing its cheerful tune.

As I approached the hedge that runs along the eastern edge of the Lake, it was evident that it held a lot of life! A group of at least 25 Greenfinches feasted on the haws, whilst 12+ Chaffinches also felt the need to join in. A group of around 6 Goldfinch balanced on the spiny thistle heads, several Blackcaps ‘tacked’ from within the brambles, at least 15 Long-tailed Tits were fluttering through the branches, 3 Willow Warblers sang from the Willows and Ash, and the elder and hawthorn bushes appeared to be bursting with Chiff Chaffs. These were also accompanied by a lovely Lesser Whitethroat sunning itself in a gap in the leaves – a first for me for the year – and a family of Spotted Flycatchers, 2 adults feeding to youngsters, a charming site – and a first for me for the year. A Coal Tit sang from the very top of the Yew at the Park and Ride entrance, several Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers called, at least 6 Nuthatches were heard calling, I had brief glimpses of Reed Warblers clambering through their reedy jungle in the Marsh, a couple of Jays were viewed on Jenner’s Bank, 5 Treecreepers were seen, and whilst having a scan of the Lake 2 Common Sandpipers decided to take off from the boating ramp and pursue each other low over the water to the western edge of the Lake. The clear blue sky was also full of birds. At least 21 Swifts were noted, a Swallow flew east, and roughly 39 House Martins fluttered acrobatically over the Lake.

6 Mute Swans were on the Lake, along with 4 Great Crested Grebes, a few Canada Geese and the resident Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. 2 Grey Herons fished along the eastern edge of the Lake and 2 Cormorants sat on the island next to the flooded Weir.

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