Iceland Gull and 2 Jack Snipe in the sun
Iceland Gull, 2 Jack Snipe, 11 Snipe, 2 Shelduck and winter thrushes today.
1 Iceland Gull - grazing marsh then flew off N at 12:15.
2 Bittern - reservoir lagoon (North shore)
2 Jack Snipe - wader scrape
2 Shelduck - main lake
4 Pintail - main lake, grazing marsh
11 Snipe - wader scrape, grazing marsh, main lake
10 Fieldfare - entrance area
2 Redwing - entrance area
1 Grey Wagtail - otter enclosure
2 Siskin - sheltered lagoon
80 Cormorant - main lake
Bitterns (up to 4 birds) can be found on the main lake and reservoir lagoon shores. The flooded wader scrape and marsh have plenty of feeding winter duck including Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal, as well as Jack Snipe, Snipe and Water Pipit. Also on the main lake there’s been occasional Yellow-legged Gull, hunting Peregrine, Water Rail, Snipe and Lapwing. Gadwall and Goldeneye can be found on the reservoir lagoon. Cetti’s Warbler, Water Rail and Reed Bunting can be seen and heard in any of the reedbed areas, particularly on the wildside west route. A colour ringed Black-headed Gull with the ring number T2TW was seen on site on January the 31st 2019, with subsequent information revealing the bird was originally ringed in Gdansk Poland on the 31st May 2018. By mid February singing spring birds include Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Robin, Song Thrush, Goldfinch and Blackbird. Lapwing are displaying over the flooded waterbodies and Great Crested Grebe are doing their courtship 'weed dance' on the lake. A very early Little Ringed Plover was spotted on the 16th on a day with strong southerly winds blowing.
Insects: Honey Bee, Hoverfly sp., Nursery Web Spider, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Brimstone butterfly
Water voles: sightings from the south route Wildwalk bridge pool (in the Pond Sedge), and from Wildside ponds close to the Wildside entrance.
Fungi: Alder Goblet, Bark Bonnet, Beech Tarcrust, Beech Woodwort, Birch Polypore, Collared Earthstar, Field Blewitt, Glue Crust, Green Elf Cup, Egg-shell Slime Mould, Conifer Mazegill, Coral Spot, Greyling Bracket, Lemon Disco, Oak Mazegill, Poplar Bells, Turkeytail, Witches' Butter, Velvet Shank.
Early flowering plants: Hazel, Alder, Cock's-foot Grass, Winter Aconite, Red and White Dead-nettle, Early Crocus, Snowdrop, Blackthorn, Winter Viburnum, Cherry Plum, Stinking Helleborine, Daisy, Winter Jasmine, Blue Anemone, Rosemary, Sweet Violet
Bats: Pipistrelle sp. seen flying around the gables of centre building facing the Entrance Lake p.m. 22nd February
