Taking Stock........

I usually see Stock doves flying off into the distance or in the middle of a field miles away. Today I got a great view of two on the Flood with a pair of Woodpigeons, very good looking bird. On the track were Lesser Whitethroat and fledged, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Wren, Blackbird, Dunnock. On the maize field were about 40 Lapwing. The recent heavy rain meant nothing much on the Wildfowlers’ Pool apart from 2 Oystercatchers. On the marsh were 5 Raven, one of which getting serious hassle from a Oystercatcher. Plenty of Swift, Swallow and House Martins around. 

Steve

Eau no!

The flood is now at a level you would expect to see in November or December. A drowned sheep in the flooded field is a bit of a ghastly sight but a dead cow only 20 metres from the cycle track is going to be a stomach churner in a couple of days. Bird activity is at the expected mid-summer slump with only a few of the more common warblers evident.
Just to the east of the patch at Deep Cutting 4 juvenile shelduck were with 2 adults. Shelduck have been evident in the fields around the patch this year, with two being almost resident at the flood and a group of 6 near Trig Hill. Have they succeeded in breeding in the quieter corners? 2 ravens were also at Deep Cutting heading towards the pylons.

Guy

Owls well........

A Barn Owl was a great surprise at Freeman’s Pool (09.00ish), hunting along the bund and by the pools. Not much else to report, Little Grebe pair, Oystercatchers, Lapwing, a Kestrel flew over and a Raven. On the track a family of Lesser Whitethroat, other fledglings seen today were Goldfinch and Greenfinch. Also along track Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Up to 15 Blackbird. On the maize field were 25 Lapwing and a few Oystercatcher.  A Little Owl was seen at Admiralty Wood.

Steve

Happy Hour

The main feature during the last two days has been the presence of about 30 house martins on Thursday and a complete absence of these smart birds today.
3 redshank were on the Flood on Thursday. I don't get the opportunity to view these at close range in FSP very often. They are most definitely good lookers.
The local passerines seem to be in the middle of feeding young. Reed bunting and great tit were viewed carrying food, a family party of six wrens were close to the flood and a juvenile common whitethroat was with an adult. A singing willow warbler, sedge warbler and blackcaps suggest that some birds are still keen to find a mate. 2 lesser whitethroats were tekking away.
House sparrows are doing there annual round trip and are collecting insects around Darter pool and flying back to their breeding sites in the direction of Willow Lane. Three coot chicks are on this pool also.

Guy

Tundras and Tytos

Dan here.

The pools have sufficiently muddy margins for the needs of nest-building house martins, but the only passage waders I found today were sticking to the open estuary.

A flock of sixteen ringed plovers were zipping around over the spring tide, and were perhaps of the tundrae form.

Freeman's Pools saw a sedge warbler having a narrow escape from a male sparrowhawk. The commotion upset a little-ringed plover and twelve roosting lapwings, but two gadwall were unperturbed.

A friend has been watching here in the evenings. Last night he watched a barn owl hunting its edges before it flew west and over the river.

DH.