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2007 sightings
December 31st 2007
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December 29th 2007
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December 27th 2007
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December 25th 2007
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December 24th 2007
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December 23rd 2007
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December 22nd 2007
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December 20th 2007
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December 19th 2007
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December 14th 2007
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December 12th 2007
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December 11th 2007
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December 8th 2007
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December 7th 2007
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December 6th 2007
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Click here for a rainbow picture taken at Chard which can be used as wallpaper
A day of heavy showers and dramatic skies
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December 5th 2007
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December 4th 2007
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December 3rd 2007
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A new all time record count of Great Crested Grebes by Dave Helliar.
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December 2nd 2007
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December 1st 2007
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November 30th 2007
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The Goosander was close to the hide today at lunchtime
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November 27th 2007
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Another great evening count of Great Crested Grebes by Dave Helliar. This time only 4 short of the all time record of 63 in 1979. The Goosander arrived in the evening again and is assumed to be feeding locally during the day away from the reservoir.
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November 26th 2007
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A good evening count of Great Crested Grebes. The Goosander arrived in the evening.
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November 24th 2007
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Goldeneye average about one a year at Chard. This is the second bird this year.
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November 23rd 2007
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Another good midday count of Great Crested Grebes. They tend to peak at about 50 in winter and drop to about 20 in summer.
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November 22nd 2007
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November 21st 2007
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38 is a good midday count of Great Crested Grebes. They tend to congregate in open water in the evenings which is when the higher counts are made.
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November 20th 2007
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A very wet day - leading to fairly high water levels. |
November 18th 2007
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This is the first Goosander since 2004 and the first Pochard this year. |
November 13th 2007
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November 12th 2007
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November 11th 2007
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November 9th 2007
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November 8th 2007
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November 6th 2007
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November 5th 2007
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November 2nd 2007
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November 1st 2007
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October 31st 2007
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October 30th 2007
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No ducks today apart from Mallard.
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October 29th 2007
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October 28th 2007
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October 26th 2007
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October 25th 2007
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October 24th 2007
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October 23rd 2007
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October 22nd 2007
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October 21st 2007
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October 19th 2007
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October 18th 2007
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October 17th 2007
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October 16th 2007
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The Egrets come and go through the day with 6 reported first thing, then none at 10 am, one arrived by lunchtime and 2 seen later in the afternoon. |
October 15th 2007
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October 12th 2007
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October 11th 2007
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October 10th 2007
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October 9th 2007
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October 8th 2007
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October 7th 2007
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October 5th 2007
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October 4th 2007
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One Little Egret remains motionless while the other goes for a fish and the Green Sandpiper feeds on the bank. |
October 3rd 2007
The Blackbirds are devouring the wild plums on the Bullace trees which are quite ripe. |
There's quite a heavy green algal growth on the water at the moment. |
October 2nd 2007
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Thanks to Rachael Lappage for counting the Great Crested Grebes. Some of the Grebes are paired and displaying although why they are doing it at this time of year I am not sure. |
October 1st 2007
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This is a much more normal looking Little Grebe compared with the one on 13th September. |
September 27th 2007
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A cold snap coincides with the arrival of some ducks. |
September 25th 2007
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September 24th 2007
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September 21st 2007
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September 20th 2007
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September 19th 2007
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September 18th 2007
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September 17th 2007
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September 16th 2007
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September 14th 2007
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September 13th 2007
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September 12th 2007
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I can find no previous record of Knot at Chard. It is of course normally a coastal bird only occasionally found on inland reservoirs. This one was found by Dave Helliar. |
September 11th 2007
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September 10th 2007
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September 7th 2007
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September 6th 2007
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September 5th 2007
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September 4th 2007
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September 3rd 2007
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September 2nd 2007
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September 1st 2007
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August 31st 2007
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August 30th 2007
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August 29th 2007
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August 28th 2007
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August 27th 2007
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August 26th 2007
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August 25th 2007
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August 24th 2007
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August 22nd 2007
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August 21st 2007
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August 20th 2007
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August 18th 2007
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August 17th 2007
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August 16th 2007
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August 15th 2007
The young grebes are tackling bigger fish now. |
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August 14th 2007
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August 13th 2007
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August 12th 2007
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August 11th 2007
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August 10th 2007
The Kingfishers were fishing near the hide today on the many small fish that are in the shallow water.
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August 9th 2007
This Greenshank did land but was very flighty and didn't stay long. |
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August 8th 2007
This is the first Curlew since February 2004 and that one did not land. The low water level is certainly helping to attract the waders. Demoiselles are to be seen on the streams and over the main water |
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August 6th 2007
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August 3rd 2007
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August 2nd 2007
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July 31st 2007
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July 30th 2007
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July 29th 2007
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There is an extraordinary feeling of migration in the air today, more reminiscent of September. I expect this Buzzard will bring reports of Osprey from the reservoir, so I have posted this picture. |
July 28th 2007
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July 27th 2007
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July 26th 2007
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16 Juvenile Great Crested Grebes are on the reservoir at present |
July 24th 2007A couple of the younger grebe chicks fight to get a free ride. The eldest chicks are flying already. |
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July 23rd 2007
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July 22nd 2007
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Fox and Roe Deer also seen today |
July 21st 2007
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July 20th 2007
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July 18th 2007
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July 17th 2007
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July 16th 2007
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July 13th 2007
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July 12th 2007
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July 10th 2007
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A horseshoe bat was seen flying around the hide today. Thanks to the Chard and Ilminster U3A birdwatching group for this record. A young Tawny Owl flying around the woods at 7.20pm. Thanks to Andy Grinter for this record. |
July 9th 2007
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Yet another pair of Great Crested Grebes have hatched 2 young. This makes 8 successful pairs and one failed pair. |
July 8th 2007
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July 6th 2007
Grasshoppers are abundant at the moment and it's a good time for the butterflies and moths too. |
July 4th 2007
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July 3rd 2007
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June 30th 2007
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June 27th 2007
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A warm spell at lunchtime amongst all the recent heavy rain brought out some of the birds such as a sunning Blackbird as well as an assortment of Butterflies and Moths. |
June 25th 2007
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June 23rd 2007
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June 22nd 2007
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June 21st 2007
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June 17th 2007
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June 15th 2007
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June 8th 2007
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June 7th 2007
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May 29th 2007
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May 28th 2007
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May 26th 2007
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May 24th 2007
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May 21st 2007
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May 18th 2007
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May 17th 2007
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May 14th 2007
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May 12th 2007
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May 11th 2007
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May 10th 2007
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These 2 Great Crested Grebe chicks appear to have come from the nest near the hide just before the water rose to critical levels. There are other occupied nests, so we wait in anticipation for further chicks. |
May 9th 2007
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May 6th 2007
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May 2nd 2007
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May 1st 2007
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April 30th 2007 |
Very quiet. More like June than April. The air is filled with fluffy Willow seeds. The Great Crested Grebes are still on the nest - the incubation period is about 4 weeks if anyone is watching their progress. |
April 19th 2007
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April 17th 2007
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April 16th 2007
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April 13th 2007
It's fantastic to see the Great Crested Grebes attempting to nest again, but you have to wonder whether this insubstantial nest will survive. |
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April 12th 2007
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April 11th 2007
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Several House Martins investigated nest sites at Horton Cross today just 4 miles north of the reservoir. |
April 10th 2007
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April 9th 2007
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April 8th 2007
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April 5th 2007
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April 3rd 2007
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April 2nd 2007
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April 1st 2007
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March 30th 2007
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March 29th 2007
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March 28th 2007
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March 27th 2007
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March 26th 2007
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March 23rd 2007
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March 22nd 2007
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March 21st 2007
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March 20th 2007
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March 18th 2007
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March 16th 2007
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March 14th 2007
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March 13th 2007
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March 11th 2007 Sunday
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March 9th 2007
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March 8th 2007
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March 5th 2007
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Even more heavy rain meant I couldn't get close to the reservoir today. The hide was locked as it was flooded. |
March 4th 2007 Sunday
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Reported by Dave Helliar |
March 3rd 2007 SaturdayA nice Redwing picture from Tony Keene. |
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March 2nd 2007
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February 28th 2007
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February 26th 2007
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The water level is very high after heavy rains with few birds on the reservoir. Some of the Great Crested Grebes are displaying and Great Tits and Blue Tits are noticeably active at the woodland edges. |
February 22nd 2007
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February 21st 2007
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February 19th 2007
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February 15th 2007
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February 10th 2007
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February 9th 2007
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February 7th 2007
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February 6th 2007
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February 5th 2007
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February 2nd 2007
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February 1st 2007
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12 Little Egrets at nearby Eleighwater |
January 29th 2007
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January 27th 2007
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10 Little Egrets at nearby Eleighwater |
January 26th 2007
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January 25th 2007 |
8 Little Egrets seen at nearby Eleighwater |
January 23rd 2007
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January 22nd 2007
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The Gulls have presumably picked up oil from Seaton |
January 19th 2007
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Later seen in flight and wings look wrong for White Winged. I guess it's just a Muscovy? Or Combed Duck?
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Muscovy
Duck? The face looks wrong and more like a White Winged Wood Duck.January 18th 2007
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January 15th 2007
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January 13th 2007
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January 12th 2007
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January 11th 2007
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January 8th 2007
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January 6th 2007 Saturday
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2 foxes also seen |
January 5th 2007
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January 4th 2007
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January 3rd 2007
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January 2nd 2007
Not a bad start to the year with a lovely drake Pintail. |
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