Winter Thrushes feeding up for return migration

Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing feeding on the entrance area sheep field. Goldeneye and 2 Bittern still present on the reservoir lagoon.

2 Bittern - reservoir lagoon N shore

1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh

1 Jack Snipe - wader scrape

12 Snipe - main lake, grazing marsh, wader scrape

30 Fieldfare - entrance area sheep field

15 Redwing - entrance area sheep field

1 Pintail - grazing marsh

2 Kestrel - displaying high over south route p.m.

2 Chiffchaff - singing south route and wildside

February bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bittern, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Little Ringed Plover, Little Owl, Peregrine, Kestrel, Iceland Gull, Water Pipit, Siskin, Stonechat.

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

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