Signs of spring. Singing Blackcap 1 Chiffchaff 4 Song Thrush 2 also Goldcrest Buzzard 8 displaying. More hedge has been laid looks really amazing new drains too-someone has been hard at work.

A female Goldeneye was a nice surprise a pair of Great Created Grebes displaying Teal 4 Pochard 1 lots of Tufted Duck.

Nice trip to the bay today star of the Show was a Common Sandpiper also Turnstone 6 Redshank 4 Goosander 7 a hybrid Scaup/Tufted Duck Common Gull 6 and a Gull looking like an immature Caspian Gull but could not say for certain.

Sunday 16th Jan

Five Crossbills feeding in the Alders also a mixed flock of Siskin 40 Cole Tit10 Goldfinch 10 Blue Tit 8 and a Nuthatch. Raven 4 Goosander 1 with 24 Mallard.

Sunday 12th December Goosander 22 including fifteen males on the west lake.

A walk through the forest this morning much evidence of logging presumably Larch. Chaffinch a flock of 12 Jay 4 Nuthatch 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 Tree Creeper 1 Mistle Thrush 1 Redwing 3 Cole Tit 1 Blue Tit 6 Great Tit 2 and lots of Robins.

A quick walk around the moat this morning there were 9 Goosander 5 of which were males a drake Teal 5 Cormorants 50 Coot 6 Moorhen 1 Shelduck and lots of Black-headed Gulls.

Five Goosander 1 male 2 immature male and two redheads. Coot 50 Black-headed Gull 80

Can anyone please identify this duck.

Migrant Hawker male Cosmeston 12th October.

There were at least ten Chiffchaffs, Goldcrest 1 Green Woodpecker 1 Swallow 3 on the lakes Tufted Duck 30 . At the Dragonfly Ponds a bird seen briefly diving in to the reeds we thought was a Reed Warbler Other: Common Darter 8 Southern Hawker 3 Migrant Hawker 10 Red Admiral 2 Large White 1

An amazing 208 Coot Mute Swan 73 Tufted Duck 13 Teal 4 Moorhen 10. Two colour ringed L/B/B/ Gull and one Black-headed Gull. Also a pair of Coot with four recently hatched chicks.

A buddleia bush near the dragonfly pools was loaded with butterflies two of which were High Brown Fritillaries we saw another later. The other butterflies were Red Admiral 8 Peacock 10 Painted lady 1 Gate Keeper 1. There was a general coming and going and therefore the number of individuals could have been higher. Could not get a pic of the Frit.

on the bird front Red Kite Buzzard 2 Raven 1 Green WP 1 Great Spotted WP 1 Chiffchaff 2

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker 3 Common Darter 8 Emerald Damselfly 6 and a Blue-tailed Damselfly

A recently fledge Wheatear lots of Sand Martins

Dipper 1 Grey Wagtail 8 birds of which two were juveniles Stock Dove 5 flew in front of the new hide Reed Warbler 2 Whitethroat 1 Chiffchaff 1 Long-tailed Tit 8. Also Ringlet 4 and Meadow Brown 6 and a visit to the pool produced 6 Azure Blue damselflies. It was good to see Cliff Woodhead at the reserve.

Goosander 2 drakes near the jetty Great Crested Grebe 24 Mute Swan 35 a Mute Swan and GCG nesting close proximity. Lots of ‘hirundines’ over the bay difficult to estimate numbers, mostly Swifts. Others: Kingfisher 1 Reed Warbler 7 Cetti’s 4 Whitethroat 2 Blackcap 1 Chiffchaff 1 Reed Bunting 2.

Goosander 9 one male House Martin circa 50 Grey wagtail 2 Coot 4 nests two with chicks Shelduck 1

On a cold windy day: Sand Martin 20 Swallow 1 first of the year for us. Goosander 13 (two drakes) Also Lesser Black-backed Gull colour ringed F:458

Mediterranean Gull adult transitional winter to breeding plumage Goosander 1 female Lesser B?B Gull 40 Herring Gull 10 Black-headed Gull 40.