Recent sightings

February 8th 2010

February 7th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 22
• Cormorant 24
• Grey Heron 1
• Mute Swan 1
• Teal 3
• Tufted Duck 9
• Wigeon 1
• Goosander 1
• Lesser Black Backed Gull 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 drumming
• Kingfisher 1
• Marsh Tit 1
• Jay 1
• Bullfinch 1
  
  

February 6th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 19
• Cormorant 25
• Tufted Duck 5
• Goosander 1
• Lesser Black Backed Gull 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 drumming
• Jay 3
• Bullfinch 1
  
  

February 5th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 21
• Cormorant 29
• Grey Heron 1
• Little Egret 1
• Teal 1
• Tufted Duck 8
• Wigeon 1
• Goosander 1
• Mistle Thrush (singing just outside reserve)
• Marsh Tit pair
• Bullfinch 2
  
  

February 4th 2010

• Cormorant 31
• Grey Heron 1
• Little Egret 1
• Mute Swan 3
• Teal 7
• Wigeon 1
• Goosander 1
• Snipe 1
• Lapwing 34 (landed briefly)
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard
• Bullfinch 1
• Jay 1
  
  

February 3rd 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 22
• Cormorant 29
• Grey Heron 2
• Little Egret 1
• Teal 51
• Tufted Duck 7
• Snipe 2
• Coot 17
• Common Gull 25
• Lesser Black Backed Gull 1
• Black Headed Gull 180
  
  

February 2nd 2010

• Cormorant 26
• Grey Heron 1
• Little Egret 1
• Teal 41
• Snipe 7
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 calling
• Bullfinch 1
  
  

February 1st 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 19
• Cormorant 26
• Grey Heron 2
• Tufted Duck 11
• Teal 77
• Wigeon 1
• Snipe 5
• Pheasant 3
• Mediterranean Gull 2 adults
• Common Gull 5
• Kingfisher 1
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Treecreeper 1
• Raven 2
• Jay 2
• Magpie 10
• Carrion Crow 10
• Reed Bunting 2+
  
  

January 31st 2010

• Goosander 1
  

January 30th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 13
• Cormorant 26
• Little Egret 2
• Grey Heron 1
• Tufted Duck 6
• Teal 35
• Goosander 1
• Snipe 1
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
• Marsh Tit 1
  
  

January 29th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 19
• Cormorant 26
• Little Egret 1
• Grey Heron 2
• Tufted Duck 5
• Teal 20
• Goosander 1
• Common Gull 5
• Reed Bunting 1
  
  

January 28th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 19
• Cormorant 27
• Little Egret 1
• Grey Heron 2
• Tufted Duck 11
• Teal 13
• Goosander 1
• Common Gull 11
• Jay 1
  
  A much warmer day today

January 27th 2010

• Cormorant 17
• Grey Heron 1
• Tufted Duck 11
• Redwing 2
• Reed Bunting 1

Reservoir partly frozen. The ice was thin as this Herring Gull discovered when it fell through.

January 26th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 13
• Cormorant 18
• Teal 12
• Tufted Duck 4+
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard
• Green Woodpecker 1 heard
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Goldcrest 1
• Jay
• Bullfinch 3+

January 25th 2010

• Cormorant 6
• Grey Heron 2
• Teal 16
• Goosander 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
• Marsh Tit 2
• Jay 3
• Bullfinch 2

January 24th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 10
• Tufted Duck 10
• Goosander 1
• Chiffchaff 1
• Firecrest 1

Goldcrest seems to have taken to chasing the Firecrest, 2 times today
whilst watching the Firecrest, a similar bird (assumed it was a
Goldcrest, surely not 2 Firecrests) hurtled in to chase the Firecrest.
Hope it doesnt chase it off completely.
Ian Seward

January 23rd 2010

• Firecrest 1

January 22nd 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 6
• Cormorant 4
• Grey Heron 1
• Tufted Duck 4
• Kingfisher 1

A Red Kite was reported over Chard itself today.

January 21st 2010

• Teal 18
• Tufted Duck 4
• Snipe 1
• Firecrest 1
• Coal Tit 2
• Marsh Tit 2

January 19th 2010

• Wigeon 1
• Teal 21
• Tufted Duck 8
• Buzzard 3
• Snipe 3
• Lesser Black Backed Gull 1
• Common Gull 3
• Siskin 4
• Coal Tit 8
• Great Tit 32+
• Blue Tit 18+
• Raven 1

There seem to be unusually high numbers of tits right now. They are obviously attracted to the feeders, but it is great that so many have survived the cold weather.

January 18th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 8
• Goosander 1
• Sparrowhawk 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
• Green Woodpecker heard
• Goldcrest 2
• Firecrest 1 (east side)
• Marsh Tit 5
• Nuthatch 9
• Treecreeper 2
• Jay 1
• Siskin 4
• Bullfinch 1

January 17th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 6
• Cormorant 20
• Tufted Duck 6
• Teal 15
• Goosander 1
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
• Grey Wagtail
• Marsh Tit 2

Report of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker comes from Alick Simmons

January 16th 2010

• Cormorant 6
• Tufted Duck 1 pair
• Goosander 1
• Coot 21
• Goldcrest 1
• Long Tailed Tit 6
• Coal Tit 5
• Chaffinch 10
• Reed Bunting 2

The reservoir is mostly thawed now. The Firecrest was not found at the south end despite many people looking. There was however an intriguing report of a possible Yellow Browed Warbler at the North end.

January 15th 2010

• Little Egret 1
• Teal 41
• Shoveler 1
• Tufted Duck 1 pair
• Coot 21
• Common Gull 9
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Firecrest 1
• Long Tailed Tit 4
• Marsh Tit 1

Photo: Ian Seward (Firecrest as seen on 9th Jan)

Reservoir 90% frozen and thawing

January 14th 2010

• Teal 9
• Coot 13
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Bullfinch 1
• Goldfinch c.20
• Reed Bunting 4

The reservoir is still very frozen despite the roads thawing out now. It was also foggy today so I couldn't see the gulls on the ice if there were any. This is the best number of Reed Buntings for 5 years.

January 13th 2010

• Teal 55 stood on ice
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Marsh Tit 1
• Reed Bunting 1

January 12th 2010

• Coot 18
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Marsh Tit 1

Reservoir 98% frozen still, but ice getting thinner

January 11th 2010

• Grey Heron 1
• Teal 1
• Tufted Duck 1
• Coot 21
• Common Gull 4
• Kingfisher 1
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Goldcrest 4+
• Treecreeper 3

Reservoir 98% frozen still

January 10th 2010

• Grey Heron 1
• Mute Swan 1
• Teal 14
• Tufted Duck 1
• Coot 20
• Moorhen 8
• Green Sandpiper 1
• Snipe 1
• Mediterranean Gull 1 adult (missing right foot)
• Common Gull 3
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
• Chiffchaff 1

The hide may be locked during the freeze for safety reasons.

January 9th 2010

• Mute Swan 1
• Coot 21
• Common Gull 1
• Black Headed Gull 135
• Herring Gull 39
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming
• Firecrest 1 (near the feeding station)
• Goldcrest 2
• Marsh Tit 1

Reservoir 99% frozen

January 8th 2010

• Mute Swan 1
• Shoveler 1
• Teal 20+
• Tufted Duck 2
• Coot 19
• Water Rail 1
• Common Gull 1
• Black Headed Gull 131
• Herring Gull 45
• Kingfisher 1
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Robin 5
• Blackbird 9
• Firecrest 1 (near the feeding station)
• Goldfinch 20

January 7th 2010

• Mute Swan 1
• Wigeon 1 pair
• Teal 154+
• Tufted Duck 6
• Coot 15
• Snipe 1

Only the SW corner is now open water

January 6th 2010

• Little Egret 1
• Mute Swan 2
• Teal 220+
• Tufted Duck 3
• Buzzard 1
• Snipe 1
• Coot 22
• Herring Gull 125+
• Black Headed Gull 76
• Pied Wagtail 1
• Marsh Tit 3
• Long Tailed Tit 8+
• Coal Tit 2
• Nuthatch 2
• Treecreeper 1
• Bullfinch 1
• Redwing
• Song Thrush

Blizzard today

January 5th 2010

• Mute Swan 2
• Teal 196
• Tufted Duck 4
• Buzzard 1

Mostly frozen still but a little open water - More cold weather and Snow forecast

January 4th 2010

• Great Crested Grebe 0
• Cormorant 0
• Mallard 128
• Tufted Duck 5
• Teal 80+
• Buzzard 1
• Coot 21
• Moorhen 4
• Snipe 1
• Herring Gull 114
• Black Headed Gull 18
• Lesser Black Backed Gull 1 dark mantled
• Kingfisher 1
• Pied Wagtail 1
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Chiffchaff heard

Large percentage of res frozen over again.

January 2nd 2010

• Cormorant 18
• Grey Heron 1
• Tufted Duck 4
• Teal 52
• Goosander 1
• Grey Wagtail 1

Large percentage of res frozen over with snow/frost covering it giving a proper wintry feel.

January 1st 2010

• Tufted Duck 7
• Goosander 1
• Kingfisher 1
• Raven 2
• Siskin 2