The feeding station has been a great attraction with lots of activity including marsh tits joining the resident willow tits on darting runs to the table from the close-by bushes. The marsh tits have seldom been seen in recent years. Also seen there were up to 4 pairs of bullfinch, the red of the males being particularly colourful on these grey winter days, numerous great tits and blue tits, an occasional coal tit, house sparrow, reed bunting and various finches particularly greenfinch and chaffinch.
A juvenile kittiwake was seen resting on the island (18th.) possibly exhausted or ill but was being hassled by crows. About 16 common snipe congregated in small groups along the south edge of the island on most days and small flocks of goldfinch could always be seen feeding on the island. A water rail patrolled the edge of the marsh, which is now filling with water after being virtually dried out due to the lack of rainfall this year.
A green sandpiper made an appearance (21st.), as did a grey wagtail and kingfisher. Flocks of siskin, lesser redpoll and long-tailed tits were a regular sight feeding in the trees and bushes around the reserve, as were redwing and fieldfare with a small number of song and mistle thrushes. Other sightings included little egret briefly, goldcrest, green and great-spotted woodpeckers.
On the lake there were counts of up to 27 goosander, a pair of goldeneye, 14 shoveler, 32 pochard, 14 gadwall, 70 wigeon, 28 tufted, 34 teal, 9 mute swan, 11 cormorant, mallard, 3 little grebe and a great-crested grebe. Lapwing flocks numbered more than 60
Among the hundreds of black-headed gulls were a mediterranean gull, a common gull and a 2nd. year herring gull and the usual lesser black-backed gulls.
Daily visits were made to the reserve by the usual raptors, sparrowhawk, buzzard and kestrel.
Colin Sedgwick
See you on the reserves,
Best regards,
Chris Edwards