- 1st
- Sun
|
- 16ºC
- Sunny intervals
- N2
|
-
The Great Northern Diver was avoiding the boating disturbance by
staying close in to the north shore but 6 Oystercatchers flew in to
find a dog show on the south shore; they flew out to the south-west. A pair of Pheasants and 4 Lapwings
were in the Willow Vale fields.
- During the evening 100+ Swifts were over the Swag and 9 Common Terns
were over the lake along with a 1st summer Great Black-backed Gull,
8 Lesser Black-backs and 4 Black-headed Gulls (GE).
At Kingswood there were 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Lapwings and 3
broods of Canada Geese (GE).
On Cuckoo Bank there were 2 Grasshopper Warblers, a Cuckoo, 2 Green
Woodpeckers, 10+ Whitethroats, 4 Linnets, 5 Stonechats (including a young
bird), 2 Garden Warblers, a Grey Wagtail, Reed Warbler, 8 Swifts and 1+
Goldcrest (MY).
|
- 2nd
|
- 20ºC
- Overcast
- E2
|
|
During the evening the Great Northern Diver was
off the north shore and 8 Common Terns, 4 Lesser Black-backs and a
Black-headed Gull were over the lake. The water level has now
dropped to 64 cm below maximum (GE).
|
|
- 3rd
|
- 18ºC
- Heavy rain clearing in pm
- W3
|
| A Black Tern was present during
the early afternoon (PW) and at dusk the Great Northern Diver was
still taking refuge from the water-skiers near the north shore, 2
Oystercatchers were on the south shore and 8 Common Tens were over
the lake (GE). |
|
- 4th
|
- 20ºC
- Sunny intervals
- SW2
|
The Great Northern Diver, Black
Tern, an Arctic Tern and 3 Common Terns were present (GE,
PW).
At least 15 Small Heaths, 2 Dingy
Skippers, 7 Common Blues, Small, Large and Green-veined Whites and
several Burnet Companions. Good numbers of Common Blue and
Blue-tailed Damselflies, 4 Large Red Damselflies, a Four Spotted
Chaser and a male Emperor Dragonfly which a dog disturbed and it
flew off at a rate of knots over the hill. Reed
Warblers were still singing, a Green Woodpecker was calling
between the Slurry Pool and Swag and 30+ Swifts (EO).
Cuckoo Bank was rather quiet with a
Buzzard, Kestrel and a distant Cuckoo calling. My
first dragonfly was a Brown Hawker followed by a good view of a Four
Spotted Chaser (imm f), 1 Small Skipper and 3 Small Coppers (EO).
|
|
- 5th
|
- 18ºC
- Sunny intervals
- SSW1
|
|
The Black Tern was again feeding over the lake
during the evening (GE).
|
|
- 6th
|
- 19ºC
- Sunny intervals
- N2
|
|
The Great Northern Diver and 6 Common Terns were
present but very little sign of a gull roost with only 1 Lesser
Black-back and a Black-headed Gull present by 21:00 (GE).
|
|
- 7th
- Sat
|
- 19ºC
- Sunny intervals
- N2
|
| The patch of Sundew that I found over
20 years ago in a peaty motorbike track appears to have benefited
from another act of vandalism! Last year's fire opened up a large
area of old heather that was shading out the Sundews but the
resulting bare earth has been colonised by more Sundews than ever.
However, they may be under threat by the planned management of
grazing since they may not be able to cope with increased nutrients
and certainly not being covered by cowpats.
The Great Northern Diver
and 6 Common Terns were also present (GE). |
- Sundews and cowpats! (GE)
|
- Sundew (GE)
|
- Groundhopper escaping the glue of Sundew
(GE).
|
|
- 8th
- Sun
|
- 24ºC
- Sunny
- WNW2
|
|
At 05:15 the Great Northern Diver was by the
island, 3 Common Terns were over the lake and herd of 30 Mute Swans
were on the sailing shore. A Cuckoo called from the north shore and a
few Swifts were overhead. During the afternoon there were 22 Tufted
Ducks and a Little Grebe on the Swag (GE).
|
|
- 9th
|
- 25ºC
- Sunny
- WNW1
|
| At 22:00 there were still 9
Common Terns over the water but little sign of a gull roost with
only 2 Black-headed Gulls present. A Cuckoo flew over the lake to
get a closer look at the Great Northern Diver (GE). |
|
- 10th
|
- 21ºC
- Sunny intervals
- NW3
|
|
One Hobby, 2 Common Terns and on the north
shore up to 20 Small Heaths, 6 Common Blues, 1 Small Skipper,
up to 100 Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies, 5 Large Red
Damsels, a Four-spotted Chaser and 2 possible Common Hawkers (EO).
During the evening the Great Northern Diver was by the
island and 2 Lesser Black-backs, 2 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Common
Terns were also present (GE).
|
| Cuckoo Bank: One Buzzard and a Kestrel,
2 Small Heaths and a Four-spotted Chaser (EO). |
|
- 11th
|
-
- 16ºC
- Sunny intervals
- WNW2
|
| The Great Northern Diver was at
the north end of the lake, 6 Common Terns and 150 Swifts were also
present (GE). |
|
- 12th
|
- 16ºC
- Heavy showers
- NE2
|
| A Little Ringed Plover was on the
Sailing Shore (PW). At dusk the Great Northern Diver
was by the island, two Common Terns were over the lake but still
little sign of a gull roost with one Lesser Black-back and 3
Black-headed gulls present at 21:50 (GE). |
|
- 13th
|
-
- 17ºC
- Sunny intervals
- NW2
|
| 22:15 The Great Northern Diver
was again by the island, an Oystercatcher was on the raft and the
gull roost was composed of 4 Black-headed Gulls and a Lesser
Black-back (GE)! |
|
- 14th
- Sat
|
- 16ºC
- Sunny intervals
- W3
|
| An early morning Breeding Atlas survey
of the area below the dam and Raceway heath produced the following
numbers of singing birds/territories: only 3 Whitethroats, 6 Willow
Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Goldcrest
and 9 Chaffinches. There were also 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great
Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Jay, 2 Jackdaws but no sign of any
Meadow Pipits on the grazed heath. It was pleasing to find a patch
of Bog Bean still surviving on the edge of the dam marsh and the
Sundew and Cranberry patch appears healthy.
On the Swag there were 60 Mallard, 12 Tufted Ducks
and 3 pairs of Great Crested Grebes. 20 House Martins were over the
pool and a Grey Wagtail was on the shore (GE) and another was on the
main dam (PW).
12 Sand Martins were over the Slurry Pool where
the large colony of Southern Marsh Orchids is being taken over by
Reed. 3 Black-tailed Skimmers and 6 Four-spotted Chasers were
nearby.
At dusk the Great Northern Diver was close
to the North Shore, 4 Common Terns were over the lake but there was
no sign of any Starling roost on the island and no gull roost (GE). |
|
- 15th
- Sun
|
- 17ºC
- Sunny intervals
- NW2
|
|
The water level is now down to 79 cm off maximum and
the sailing shore point by the dam is being exposed. A Cormorant flew
over and 5 Common Tern were present.
|
|
- 16th
|
- 18ºC
- Cloudy
- ENE2
|
| The Great Northern Diver was
still present, 59 Canada Geese, 7 Lapwings and 6 Common Terns (GE,
PW). |
|
- 17th
|
- 17ºC
- Sunny intervals
- SW2
|
The Great Northern Diver and 2 Common Terns
were present (GE). In the Norton Bog area a Kestrel mobbed a
Buzzard, a Reed Warbler showed well in the open and a Green
Woodpecker was by the Slurry Pool. There were several Large Red
Damselflies, a Four-spotted Chaser, 15 Small Heaths, 2 Common
Blues, 8 Small Skippers, 2 Speckled Woods and at least 1 Meadow
Brown (EO).
On Cuckoo Bank an adult Little Grebe was with 2
well grown juveniles and on the heath there were 1-2 Buzzards,
Kestrel, Jay, a Heron and 2 Small Heaths, 1
Small Copper, 2 Common Blues, good numbers of damselflies, 2 Brown
Hawkers, a Black-tailed Skimmer and 3 Common Hawkers with 1
depositing eggs in water (EO).
|
|
- 18th
|
- 15ºC
- Overcast with some rain
- SW4
|
| A Kestrel failed in its attempt to
catch a Pied Wagtail at the Waterski Club, about 50 Swifts were over
the lake and one of the 4 Common Terns present flew south with a
small fish, presumably heading towards Ryders Mere (GE). |
|
- 19th
|
- 20ºC
- Light showers
- W3
|
| The Great Northern Diver was by
the island, seemingly oblivious to the water-skiers very closely
passing by. There were 3 Lesser Black-backs, 2 Common Terns and a
Black-headed Gull (GE). |
|
- 20th
|
- 20ºC
- Light showers
- W3
|
|
The Great Northern Diver was near the north
shore during the evening. A moth trapping night on the north heath
resulted in about 20 species of moths including 3 Four-dotted Footman,
Peppered Moth, Broom Moth, Light Emerald, True Lover's Knot,
Shoulder-striped Wainscot and Bright-line Brown-eye. There were also sightings of a
Muntjac (TH), 100 Swifts, a Noctule, a
Grasshopper Warbler was singing near the Slurry Pool and around 60
martins looked as if they may have been gathering to roost in the
reeds (GE. NS).
|
|
- 21st
- Sat
|
- 18ºC
- Heavy rain
- S3
|
| A Curlew called just after midnight and a
Tawny Owl was hooting on the White Horse Estate in the early hours.
Only 2 Common Terns and a Black-headed Gull were present during the
morning. During the evening, the Great Northern Diver was near
the north shore and 7 Lapwings were on the jetty (GE). |
|
- 22nd
- Sun
|
- 18ºC
- Sunny intervals.
- Windy
- SW6
|
| The monthly WeBS count was graced by the Great
Northern Diver, 26 Tufted Ducks and a Common Tern. Full details to
follow (GE). |
|
- 23rd
|
- 18ºC
- Sunny intervals
- W2
|
| The Great Northern Diver was
near the north shore, 6 Black-headed Gulls were on the sailing shore
and 2 Common Terns were over the lake (GE). |
|
- 24th
|
- 21ºC
- Sunny intervals
- SSE2
|
| Water levels have now dropped to 90 cm
off maximum. 2 Common Terns, 6 Black-headed Gulls and 9 Lapwings
were present (GE). |
|
- 25th
|
- 20ºC
- Early drizzle, sunny intervals
- SW4
|
| 18:40 The Great Northern Diver
was asleep off the north shore, a Common Tern flew south and 6
Black-headed Gulls were over the lake (GE). |
|
- 26th
|
- 19ºC
- Light showers
- WSW4
|
| 39 Tufted Ducks were on the Swag (GE). |
|
- 27th
|
- 21ºC
- Bright early then cloudy with showers
- W2
|
- Up to 3 Common Terns, 1 Lesser Black-backed
Gull flew over, 2 Kestrels, 2 Herons with Reed Warblers and
Willow Warblers still singing. There were 8
Meadow Browns, 1 Large Skipper, 4 Small Heaths, 3 Ringlets
and 1 Speckled Wood and again good numbers of damselflies in
sheltered spots. The only dragonfly was a Black-tailed
Skimmer sheltering at the bottom of a weed stem (EO).
- At dusk the Great Northern Diver was
near the island but there was no sign of a gull roost. 40
Mute Swans and 42 Canada Geese were on the main lake (GE).
On Cuckoo Bank it was very quiet walking across
south of Eights Wood. There were 2 Little Grebes on different
pools, 1 very clean male Stonechat, 3 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel and 1
Green woodpecker. A good number of damselflies were in sheltered
spots and also 3 Large Skippers, 1 Small Skipper, 1 Common Blue, 6
Meadow Browns, 1 Small Heath and a Ringlet (EO).
|
|
- 28th
- Sat
|
- 20ºC
- Sunny intervals
- W3
|
| The Great Northern Diver, 39
Tufted Ducks, 1 Ruddy Duck, 3 Common Terns and 2 Buzzards but no
gulls were present at dusk (GE).
At Kingswood there were 8 Common Terns, 4 very
noisy adult Oystercatchers, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 25 Lapwings, 6
Great Crested Grebes, singing Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler,
Blackcap and several Skylarks (GE). |
|
- 29th
- Sun
|
- 19ºC
- Sunny intervals
- SW3
|
| At dusk there were 2 Oystercatchers, 3
Common Terns, 41 Canada Geese, 7 Black-headed Gulls and around 20
large gulls silhouetted on the raft (GE). |
|
- 30th
|
- 21ºC
- Sunny intervals
- WSW2
|
| During the evening a 2nd summer Yellow-legged
Gull was on the raft with 6 Lesser Black-backs and an
unidentified 1st summer bird. The Great Northern Diver was still
present and there were 15 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2
Oystercatchers, 4 Common Terns, several Lapwings and a Noctule (GE). |
|
