11 members attended this meeting starting at 10.00.
On arrival at the car park I saw two Great-spotted Woodpeckers on the grass, an adult and a juvenile. From the Bittern and the Main hides which both look over the main lake we could see seven Lesser Black-backed and two Herring Gulls. A Great Crested Grebe with a well grown chick were to our left on a small pool with a Pochard and a Little Grebe. In the distance a Sparrowhawk and two Buzzards flew over the trees. One of the Buzzards landed in a nearby pylon. Waterfowl included Canada Geese and Greylags, Tufted Ducks, Mallards and Gadwall which was the most numerous duck on the reserve. A pair of Mute Swans had six well grown cygnets. 11 Cormorants were resting on one of the islands. Two Common Sandpipers, and three Lapwings were on the shoreline in front of us with three Little Grebes on the water. In front of the main hide on the flowering plants we saw a Brimstone, two Peacocks and a Comma butterflies. Three Swifts were flying over the lake and two Little Egrets were on the far side of the lake. On leaving the hide we saw three Goldfinches in the bushes and Brown Hawkers and Common Darters flying along the footpaths.
From the Wader Scrape hide we additionally saw 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 28 Canada Geese and two Stock Doves.
The last hide is Wath Ings hide. This gave us two great White Egrets fishing in the shallow water with a Grey Heron and a Little Egret. On the grassy causeway in front of the hide were our star birds, a flock of 13 resting Spoonbills comprising of at least three juveniles amongst the adults. It was difficult to be certain as they were sleeping until something disturbed them. Also on the grassy area were 14 Shovelers and 26 Teal. To the right there was a flock of 250 Lapwings with six Starlings and only five Black-headed Gulls. We then made our way back to the centre. At the feeding station there were Blue and Great Tits, a Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Bullfinches.
We had time to visit Broomhill Flash which is another reserve just a mile away. House Martins and a Swallow were hunting over the fields. At least 254 Little Grebes were on the water forming a loose flock of juveniles and adults. 10 Pochards were diving in the Flash with Great Crested Grebes, Gadwalls and Mallards. Two Little Egrets were on the far shoreline and several Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the water. Four Stock Doves flew past and landed on the shore and a pair of Mute Swans had six well grown cygnets.
The species total for the day was 45.
Mike Smithson
