August 2010 Bird Report

A total of 34 Great Crested Grebe (including 7 juveniles) on the 27th with 2 adult and 2 juvenile Little Grebe. 12 Mute Swans, including 3 juveniles. Max counts of 290 Canada Geese, 90+ Egyptian Geese, 11 Greylag Geese and 15 Barnacle Geese this month. An elusive Little Egret has been seen occasionally and Grey Herons are resident.  

Up to 10 Teal by the month end and a pair of Pochard for most of the month. Mandarin Ducks present all month, including flocks 7 and 11 W along river at dusk on 27th. 59 resident Mallard and 116 Tufted Ducks on 27th. The family of 9 young Gadwall dispersed during the month. 130 Coot on 27th.

Buzzards (up to 4), Kestrel (including a juvenile), Sparrowhawk, Hobbys and Red Kite seen this month, but the star raptor was a female Marsh Harrier passing through on 29th. A pair of Red-legged Partridges have been seen occasionally on the new workings. 

A poor showing of migrant waders this month: a peak of 5 Green Sandpipers and 6 Common Sandpipers. A Dunlin on the 3rd/4th, Up to 4 Little Ringed Plovers up to the 18th. Ringed Plovers on 11th, 16th and 21st. A Redshank present on the last 4 days of the month and Greenshanks on the 17th and 28th. Lapwing numbers reached 160 on the 19th.  A maximum of 4 Snipe recorded on 29th.

Common Terns have left the site with just the occasional passing bird. Up to 30 Black-headed Gulls, including juveniles. 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the evening roost on the 27th, Occasional Herring and Yellow-legged Gulls have been seen.

The Barn Owls are still present, but seem to have failed to breed on the reserve again. It appears that the 3 Little Owl territories along Lower Sandhurst Road have bred successfully. Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins have been moving south in the last 2 weeks with an estimated 150 birds in the sky on the 25th, The last Swifts were seen on the 18th.

The family of Stonechats are still present. The first 2 Whinchats of the year were  recorded on the 27th at Fox Lake, on the Hampshire side; but no Wheatear this month. Kingfishers have been very busy on the river and lakes, a juvenile and adult female were caught by the ringers on the 8th. They also caught 42 Warblers, including 6 Garden Warblers, 10 Blackcaps and 18 Chiffchaffs.

Lots of Pied Wagtails on the workings, and a Yellow Wagtail on the 18th.  The male Yellowhammer has still been singing occasionally at the west end of the site.

My unofficial count of species recorded for 2010 is about 124, including the escaped Snow and Barnacle Geese.

As always, please report your own sightings on the record sheets in Colebrook Hide or send them to Ian Brown, the Moor Green Bird Recorder.

Bruce Archer