CLIFFE POOLS, NORTHWARD HILL 14.7.2015

Eric Brown, Phil Cliffe, Janet Newiss

Weather: cloudy but warm 18c to 23c

9.50am to 3.45pm

Defied gloomy BBC website forecasts of heavy showers for the second successive week and were rewarded with another rain-free day. Highlights at Cliffe included the appearance of a black-winged stilt on the black barn pools and a brown cuckoo, possible juvenile or brown morph female, near the path to the black barn observation mound. Godwit numbers building up and good numbers of greenshank plus two spotted redshanks just beginning to moult their breeding plumage and several ruff with one black individual almost retaining summer plumage. There were also good numbers of butterflies.

9.50am Cliffe. Mute swan, Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Goose, Grey Heron, Mallard, Tufted Duck with Juvs, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Avocet 35, Lapwing, Black winged Stilt, Oystercatcher, Ruff 10, Redshank, Spotted Redshank 2, Whimbrel 3, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit 120, Greenshank 10, Marsh Harrier M, F & Juv, Kestrel 2, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Common Tern 4, Black Headed Gull 200 inc juvs, Herrring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Whitethroat (singing), Reed Warbler(S), Reed Bunting, Skylark, Sand Martin 8, Swallow, Swift, Starling, Blackbird, House Sparrow, P Wag, Linnet, C Crow, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit 5, Stonechat pair with juv. TOTAL 54.

Butterflies: Meadow brown, gatekeeper, large white, green veined white, marbled white, peacock, red admiral.

1.45pm Northward Hill. M Swan, Canada, Greylag Geese, Mallard, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier M, F, Hobby, Ringed Plover 5 inc juvs, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Rook, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Swift, Green Woodpecker 2ad one juv, Gt Spotted Woodpecker(feeders), Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Stock Dove, Pheasant, Chiffchaff.

Butterflies: Meadow brown, gatekeeper, large white, green veined white, marbled white, peacock, red admiral, comma, small tortoiseshell, ringlet, Painted lady, hundreds of cinnabar moth caterpillars, 4 spot burnet moth.