September 2006 Bird Report

Two late families of Great Crested Grebes remain, one on each of the lakes, each with 2 young. Little Grebes have moved onto the reserve, one recently taken to feeding in the scrape in front of Colebrook Hide.  Geese are returning in numbers: 44 Barnacle Geese seen on the 4th, 60 Egyptian Geese on the 23rd and up to 400 Canada Geese  An escaped Lesser White-fronted Goose spent the day in the area on 16th September.

Ducks that spend the winter here have started to arrive with the first Wigeon on the 11th, up to 65 by the end of the month.  The first Pochard appeared on 3rd, up to 10 by month end, and up to about 30 Teal and 8 Shoveler.  It will be another few weeks before Goldeneye and Goosander arrive. Mandarin Ducks seem to move to more sheltered lakes for the winter. 

Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrels are resident with Hobby still around until the 28th at least.

A few waders passed through with Little Ringed Plovers on 2nd, 3rd and 7th and Common Sandpipers on 2nd, 3rd and 4th.  Green Sandpipers spend the winter in the area, with up to 5 early in the month, but only one since the 19th. Up to 200 Lapwing have been present all month. Snipe are present by can be elusive, the most I have seem at any one time in September is 4. 

Gulls have taken to gathering on the gravel areas of the new workings on fine afternoons, with up to 50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, plus a Yellow-legged Gull on the 26th and the first Common Gull of the winter on the 28th.  Black-headed Gulls are ever present.

 Little Owl, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl have been seen this month.

The summer birds are almost all gone, but Chiffchaff remain and a few will spend the winter in the warmer spots along the river. A Whinchat was present on the 18th and 19th. The last Reed Warbler I saw was on the 17th, the last Willow Warbler on the 13th and the last Blackcap on the 4th. Two Spotted Flycatchers were around the horse paddock by the car park until the 4th September.

The ground feeder by the main path near Colebrook Hide was cleaned and feeding started on the 10th September. Birds seen there so far this autumn are Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, plus Crow, Magpie and Pheasants.

Bruce Archer