Peregrine circling overhead early this evening

Evidence that reed and sedge warblers are starting to move.

Latest ringing news HERE

Monthly public walk

Thanks again for a great walk Strinda.  Twenty-one folk came along, with a special welcome to some new people.

We found /heard 48 species, more than we expected on a very warm day in mid July, the highlights being – 3 Herons and a Little Egret in one tree, a Kingfisher, and 3 Hirundine species and Swift seen in two minutes.

Full list-   Black-headed Gull ,Blackcap ,Bullfinch ,Canada Goose 80+,Chiffchaff , Cetti’sWarbler ,Common Sandpiper ,Cormorant ,Goldfinch ,Greenfinch ,Greylag Goose
House Martin ,Jackdaw ,Kingfisher ,Linnet ,Long-tailed Tit ,Mallard ,Pheasant
Reed Warbler ,Song Thrush ,Starling ,Swift ,Willow Warbler ,Wren ,Blackbird
Blue Tit ,Buzzard ,Carrion Crow ,Chaffinch ,Collared Dove ,Coot with well-grown chicks,
Dunnock ,Great Crested Grebe with well grown chick,Grey Heron 4,Herring Gull ,House Sparrow ,Kestrel ,Lesser Black-backed Gull ,Little Egret 2,Magpie ,Mute Swan PiedWagtail Sand Martin ,Sparrowhawk ,Swallow ,Whitethroat ,Woodpigeon  (Pink-Footed Goose)

Also recorded were-

Dragonflies- Black-tailed skimmer, Emperor, Common Darter.                                                  Butterflies-  Common Blue, Small Copper, Ringlet, Comma, Red Admiral, Small White, Green Veined White                                                                                                                               …….and a Shrew

2 Kingfishers from the main bridge y’day and 1 this morning. Max 22 B-h Gulls recently including at least 2 this years imm. Reed Wblr at the dipping pond this a.m. GC Grebe with 1 fully grown imm still with stripey head. Water Vole v brief appearance at the dipping pond this morning. Also an amazing carving recently installed near the dipping pond, carved out of a single tree.

Yellow-legged Gull adult Blackcap Singing Sand Martin 20 also; Small Red-eyed Damselfly 6 Common Blue Damselfly  lots Emperor female ovipositing.

32 mallard under the road bridge next to pant a sais in the shade lots of juvs amongst them

Latest ringing news HERE

Nice pic of treecreeper by Amy Schwartz

On Weds 11th Jul 15 GBC members had a morning walk through Lanlay Meadows NT and on to Peterston Moors (R. Ely floodplain) near Peterston-super-Ely.  It was very hot and humid in overcast conditions.  We saw 32 species in all, highlights of which were 2 Green Sandpipers, adult Grey Wagtails with young, Sand Martins entering nest holes in the sandy river banks, and exc views of Red Kite, Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk. The full list ca be seen by clicking here.

Six Whimbrel at Bendrick Rock early this morning at high tide. Shortly afterwards an adult Mediterranean Gull on Sully Beach along with 200+ Black-headed Gulls. An adult Great Black-backed Gull was on Sully Island.

Yesterday morning at Llwyn On reservoir, where the low water level has exposed lots of mud and a bridge, 4 House Martin repeatedly visiting the water’s edge, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Great Black-backed Gull and 4 Grey Heron. In the nearby forestry plantation on the east side of the A470, 9 Crossbill, 2 Raven and 1 Tree Pipit.

Latest ringing information is HERE.

Highlights have included an 8 year old reed warbler and the first young grasshopper warbler of the year (see below – photo Bethan Dalton)

A sub-ad Little Grebe was in the W lake small bay [far end of the lake]. 13 B-h Gulls incl 1 juv on the posts. A Water Vole was posing well at the dipping pond again.

A nice surprise on a rare summer visit to the lake were three Common Sandpiper on the east side of the island. Mute Swan 82 Lesser B/B Gull 40 one ringed G+X a regular here. Also: Banded Demoiselle  2 Emperor 8 Common Blue Damselfly lots and Black-tailed Skimmer 3 and Holly Blue Butterfly.

Yesterday,july 4th. the Great Crested Grebes eggs finally hatched.At least two juvs. on parents back,could be three.

2 adult shelduck with 3 well grown youngsters

There was a pretty confiding Water Vole at the dipping pond although it played hard to get amongst the reed stems. The Kingfisher was on the usual dead tree seen from the bridge, and an imm Grey Heron was at the dragonfly pond.

Today there were 9 Black-headed Gulls on W lake posts including 2 of this years juvs. The Canada Goose pair have lost 1 of their 3 goslings but the remaining 2 are quite large now. Silver ‘Y’ moths seen this a.m. plus Comma. 2 Days ago there were 20 or so each of House and Sand Martin feeding over the upper dovecote field, plus a few Swift. Here’s a few recent photos:

Latest ringing report HERE.

Productivity seems to have been good for most resident species, and first reed warbler young now on the wing.

A nice find [and my first there since 2007] was this Cuckoo on the posts of the ‘snipe’paddock’ fence this morning. Also fem Mallard with 8 v small ducklings on W lake, and 7 Black-headed Gulls on the W lake posts, the first for me since the winter. Also v annoyed to see that some morons have chucked the life belts back into the lake, 2 days after they had been retrieved and put back on the holders by the park staff.

Juvenile Hawfinch found in garden yesterday evening with a broken neck and slight damage to bill – presumably flown into window. Not a happy ending I’m afraid, but notably unusual species here.

a  red kite was low over asda car park this afternoon being mobbed by the local gulls