Author Archives: Val Jones

Eighteen Whooper Swans flew quite low north-west at 1110. Also 2 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 29 Tufted Ducks, 27 Pochard, 3 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander, 3 G.C.Grebes, 6 C.Buzzards and a Peregrine. The male Brambling showed well occasionally on the hide feeders.

A frustrating morning with a small party of geese flying over unseen that were thought to be Bean Geese and a distant, flying away Asio Owl sp. most likely Short-eared. Confirmed sightings were 6 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 31 Pochard, 26 Tufteds, … Continue reading →

27 Pochard, 23 Tufteds, 2 Goldeneye, Oystercatcher through early morning – the first of the year, c25 Common Snipe & an adult Peregrine while 2 Skylarks flew north.

Few highlights recently with the best being a probable first-winter Caspian Gull in the roost on Sunday (7th). This morning a pair of Shoveler, just one drake Gadwall (though ten yesterday), 25 Tufteds, 32 Pochard, drake Goosander, 5 Little & … Continue reading →

5 Gadwall, drake Shoveler, 1 Kingfisher and a Brambling on the feeders. A possible adult Caspian Gull in the roost was not seen well enough to be certain.

c20 Tufted Ducks, 29 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye, 3 G.C.Grebes & 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, a second-winter in the early afternoon and an adult in the roost.

A Shelduck, drake Shoveler, Gadwall, 29 Pochard, 23 Tufted Ducks, 1 Goldeneye, Common Snipe, Brambling on the feeders etc. Gull roost fairly well attended but nothing unusual, best being a 2nd/3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull and a leucistic B.H.Gull.

8 Pintail, with five stunning drakes, arrived midday and stayed till dusk. Also drake Shoveler, single Goosander and a Raven. Behind the dam wall 5 Tree Sparrows were on the feeders and 86 Yellowhammers still in fields below Woodcock Plantation.

An adult Iceland Gull arrived at 1500 but unfortunately didn’t stay to roost, slipping away unseen before 1525, the second in two days after none all winter. Also drake Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, c20 Tufteds, 27 Pochard, 1 G.C.Grebe, c40 Siskins at … Continue reading →

A juvenile Iceland Gull in the gull roost was the highlight, the first of the winter and hopefully an incentive for more people to get down there looking. Also the drake Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, quite a few Common Snipe off the … Continue reading →