Cuckoo

Cuckoo (2 males), Hobby (1), Oystercatcher (2), Buzzard (1), Kingfisher (several sightings), Little Grebe (main pool and the scrape), Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush (one doing very good nightingale imitation)

Common Blue Damselflies

21st May 2008

Once again I took advantage of some time off from work and went up to Whitacre. It's a funny time of year really not much happening as birds are sitting on the nest and the dragonflies & damselflies aren't really out yet so it was quiet - apart from the hum of the mozzies !

Somewhere between the River pool hide and the Scrape Hide there was a cuckoo calling but I didn't see it and the Greater spotted was calling as well.

First stop was the River pool hide - The Coots now have 5 chicks and were defending them against all comers including Grey Herons and Mallards. The one highlight for me was a pair of Bullfinches seemed to be nesting close by as the kept appearing carrying small twigs and lining material.



The only other bit of colour was provided by the Kingfisher.

The only other sightings were:-

Scrape Hide
2 coots, 2 Mallards and a pair of mating Gadwall.

Flashes Hide
Oystercatcher flying towards Coton Lakes
Buzzard,
Kestrel (a single one and then two others chasing one another)
Woodpigeon

Wednesday May 14th

Good views of Hobby hawking over river hide. 3 little grebe on pond.
Little in the field other than Canada with young and pair of lapwing.
The scrape had pair of Canada with 6 young and pair of Swan, a kingfisher was about for quite a time using the reeds for a perch. 1 Heron.
At the lake hide 3 heron, 2 little grebe and a pair of Swan. Mallard and Gadwall.

Common Terns

Quick visit today:

Shoveler (1 m), Gadwall (1m), Coot (+6 young), Little Grebe, Buzzard, Common Tern (3), LBB Gull (2), BH Gull (1), Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, GS Woodpecker, Reed Bunting, Whitethroat

Small White (15+), Large White (4), Peacock (4), Speckled Wood (1)

Spotted Flycatcher

Flashes: No sign of yesterdays whinchat, sky lark, Whitethroat, GS Woodpecker, Swift (20+)

Meadow: Linnet (2 m, 1f), Kestrel (1), Swallow (2)

Scrape: Little Grebe (2), Pied wagtail (1), Gadwall, Canada Goose (2)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (5), Coot (+ 1 young), Reed Warblers (n)

River Pool: Spotted flycatcher (1), Little Grebe (2), Swift (30+), Sand Martin (1)

All over: Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat

Today at Whitty ..

Well as the sun was still shining I thought I'd take myself of for a few hours. I didn't see much out of the ordinary but what I did see was good.

After a lot of s searching I finally nailed this little git ...



Then a bit further round from the Scrape Hide I saw this Whitethroat singing his head off for ages till I pressed the shutter ...


And from one of the other windows I got this Dabchick



Then finishing off at the field hide Nothing much was happening till this Kestrel landed with a Mole in it's talons