February 2011 Bird Report

February started with a bright dry week and then settled into wet milder weather and with some early indications of birds paring and getting ready to breed.

Up to 22 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Little Grebe. One or more Little Egrets and  Grey Herons present; a couple sightings of the Bittern. Cormorant numbers reduced through the month; one report of "CJX", the Essex colour ringed youngster which was present during the previous winter.

Counts of waterfowl, mostly on the 18th: 20 Mute Swans, 185 Canada Geese, 15 Greylag Geese, 16 Barnacle Geese, 12 Egyptian Geese, 28 Goosander, 1 male Goldeneye all month, diminishing numbers of Wigeon with less than 20 by the end of the month, 233 Tufted Duck, 37 Pochard, 21 Teal, 50 Mallard, 46 Gadwall, 23 Shoveler and 169 Coot. 5 Mandarin Ducks on the 12th.

Snipe present all month, Woodcock seen on 12th, up to 140 Lapwing, but numbers reducing. The continental ringed Green Sandpiper remained and a second bird was present on the 16th. 3 Curlew briefly present on the diggings on 22nd.

Black-headed Gulls starting to gather on Tern Island during the day. 92 Common Gulls on the 7th, reducing numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gull, a few Herring Gulls but no reports of Yellow-legged Gull this month?

A pair of Barn Owls and at lest 2 pairs of Little Owls in residence. The Tawny Owl present in January seemed to have moved on by the end of the month. Common Buzzards, but I don't know of any raptors reported - there must have been some during the month? Up to 2 Kingfishers on the river by the end of the month. A Lesser-spotted Woodpecker reported on 1st.

The pair Stonechats reported on 8th, 17th and 18th. Linnets and lately Skylarks present. Redwings still present at the end of the month. Chiffchaffs have been present along the river all month and starting to sing in the last week. A Blackcap was reported near the feeders around the 24th.

Flocks of Siskins and Redpolls still present with a Lesser (Mealy) Redpoll on the 12th. Nuthatches often around the car park, and Treecreepers with the Long-Tailed Tit flocks. Bullfinches present in good numbers but shy. Tits and Finches on the feeders with Robins, Dunnocks and Reed Buntings under them - no sightings of Bramblings?

My unofficial count of species recorded for 2011 is 90, 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