Reservoir Logs - January 2025 round-up

      

                   The Golden Plover gave amazing views during its stay pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
  

      A remarkably tame and long-staying Golden Plover was the highlight of an otherwise dull January. The month did also see an elusive Redpoll and a brief re-appearance of a Barn Owl but only 80 species were recorded - three less than last year - with no additions to the year list after the 20th. Even the usual New Year's Day blitz had to be postponed as the Wetlands was shut because of high winds until the afternoon. Which just about sums the month up....   

                   A stunning photograph of the showy drake Goldeneye pic @samodonnell25. bsky.social                                                   

       The Barnacle Goose flock remained at the Wetlands with occasional forays further up the valley although, by the end of the month, it had reduced in size from 15 to 13. Goldeneye numbers also fell from the modest four to just two with the drake and female which had paired up disappearing. Wigeon were seen on three days with a cold weather influx of ten on the 11th. Goosander were also recorded on three days although the five seen over Lockwood on the 7th were three more than the peak count last January. 

The cold weather brought an influx of Wigeon pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
      

       Seven species of waders were recorded which is a healthy total for January. The highlight was a Golden Plover found on the 12th by JM at the north end of East Warwick. Appearances by the species are usually very brief so it was a major surprise when it was re-found next day on the 4/5 causeway. By the 14th, it had moved to the public side of High Maynard, sleeping and occasionally feeding all day despite a procession of cyclists and joggers just metres away. 

                      This Oystercatcher spent the day on East Warwick pic  @chris-farthing.bsky.social

       An Oystercatcher, which also ignored passers-by, was around East Warwick on the 20th. The only Redshank of the month was on the 10th which also saw the first two Lapwing with a cold weather movement of 15 next day. 

                      Freezing conditions saw Lapwing fly into London pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social

       Common Snipe occasionally appeared on the East Warwick island but, with few on Walthamstow Marsh, numbers never got above three even when there was a heavy frost.  The Common Sandpiper continued its winter stay, largely at the north end of High Maynard. Heavy rain forced Green Sandpipers out of the flooded channels onto Lockwood with two on the 5th and five next day. 

                                   The Buzzard continued to roost on No 1 island pic @chris-farthing.bsky.social                                                         

       January is usually a slow month for raptors at the Wetlands but this month Red Kites were seen on the 7th, 18th and 29th while our first ever wintering Buzzard continued to roost on No 1 island throughout the month. Peregrines were regularly seen on the pylons and neighbouring tower blocks with a food pass between the pair suggesting nesting may take place again in the area.  

       A Barn Owl made an early appearance on the year list when it was watched by an angler crossing over Forest Road to the south side on 13th early in the morning.  Unlike last year when the first record of Pheasant was not until October, a female was seen on New Year's Day and regularly across the month. Coal Tit, although still a real scarcity at the Wetlands, is definitely becoming more regular with JN finding one on West Warwick on the 10th. Kingfishers continued to delight visitors with a particularly obliging bird often perching by the Coppermill Tower. 

                            Stonechat numbers fell during the month  pic  @samodonnell25.bsky.social                                                                

        Stonechats continued to be seen on West Warwick but numbers again seemed to fall from four on the 3rd to a maximum of two by the end of the month. Winter thrushes remained exceptionally scarce with just a handful of Redwing and Fieldfare records across the month. Last year a flock of 20 Redwing fed around the Engine House but there are suggestions that a bumper berry crop in Scandinavia this winter has kept birds closer to home. One winter visitor which was unusual was what seems likely to be a single Redpoll - never common at the Wetlands - first seen by MM on the 17th and then intermittently until the 25th. 

DB @davidbradshaw52.bsky.social

      

Reservoir Logs - December 2024 round-up

 

              The first Great Northern Diver since 2013 sparked a mini-twitch pic @chris-farthing.bsky.social

            The first Great Northern Diver for eleven years and a hunting Barn Owl were the highlights of an unusually interesting December. Brent Goose, Little Gull and Redpoll were among other surprising sightings in what is often, unless there is a freezing spell, among the dullest months of the year. 

                                                             Barn Owl with breakfast  pic @MLP

          In all, 83 species were seen across the month. With the late addition of a Raven in October, the diver and owl take the year list to a record 150. This is three more than the previous best in 2017 when this monthly round-up began. The high total is in no small part due to the young eyes, ears and enthusiasm of SD who added and photographed several fly-over species including Hawfinch and Crossbill. Looking back at the year, while there were plenty of good birds, there was no outstanding rarity like last year's Alpine Swift. Unexpected omissions were Mediterranean Gull and both Common and Black Redstart which had been seen annually.  

                             A Brent Goose briefly braved the Saturday crowds pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social                           

           Our regular flock of 15 Barnacle Geese roosted every night on the reservoirs before leaving either to the adjoining playing fields or further up the valley to feed. But it looks as if the single bird may have provided an early Christmas dinner for the Wetlands' foxes as it disappeared mid-month. SD found a Brent Goose on East Warwick on the 14th. Having chosen to land on the busiest reservoir in the complex on a Saturday morning, it didn't stay long. A flock of six Shelduck flew south over the Wetlands on the 28th but did not stop to join the two that now seem settled on the reservoirs. 

                                    The tame Goldeneye continued to delight   pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social                           

 

       It was a good month for Wigeon with sightings on eight days including seven on the 10th and 12 on the 13th. Goldeneye numbers increased slowly to at least four by the 30th including a very tame and smart drake which, like its companions, popped up across the reservoirs during the month. Goosander continued to be very scarce with the sole record a drake on Lockwood on the 27th. The days when the Wetlands hosted a small flock in winter look as if they belong to history. 

                   

                           This Buzzard unusually roosted at the Wetlands  pic @chris-farthing.bsky.social

       The roosting Buzzard continued to be seen early morning until the 27th when it may have finally got fed up with its retinue of crows and Magpies. A Red Kite soared over Lockwood on the 29th. The discovery by CF at dawn of a Barn Owl hunting the flower farm next to No 5 on the 13th was a real surprise. Even more surprising, it was there again next morning before disappearing. Barn Owls are just about annual but they are usually only seen when disturbed from a day-time roost.      

                                                     The Barn Owl watching its admirers pic @MLP

             Five species of wader were seen across December including the occasional Common Snipe and the wintering Common Sandpiper which means the species was recorded every month this year. A tame Oystercatcher on Lockwood on the 29th brought back memories of last December's winterer but, despite from the colour of its bill finding plenty of food, it had disappeared next day. Also one-day birds were the Dunlin on the 8th and the Green Sandpiper on the 11th.

                         Oystercatcher found good feeding on Lockwood pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social                                                             

                December saw two good gull species with a IW Caspian Gull photographed by SD on the 17th and a more obliging Little Gull first seen flying south on Christmas Eve before taking up residence on West Warwick. Only the second record this year, it  continued to be seen - often giving stunning views - until the 29th after which it looks as if it returned to KGV reservoir just up the valley where it had been for a couple of weeks before its visit to the Wetlands. 

                                     1W Caspian (above) and Little Gulls pics @samodonnell25.bsky.social                          

          

         The star bird of the month, also found by CF, was a Great Northern Diver. It appeared on East Warwick in strong winds and heavy rain to show, once again, the link between bad weather and good birds at the Wetlands.  Amazingly, it was its repeated eerie call which first gave away its presence in the gloom suggesting it had just arrived. The first since 2013, it kindly stayed around for a couple of hours before flying off high west.  

                            The Great Northern Diver preparing for take-off pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social                           

             

                 There was far less excitement this month, as expected, with smaller birds. A Skylark was seen in the rain on the 8th. Winter thrushes continue to be extremely scarce with the only record of Fieldfare on the last day of the year when three flew over.  Up to three Stonechats continued to be seen regularly around the Warwicks while the 6th produced six Siskin and single Redpoll which may be the same bird seen on the 16th. 

DB davidbradshaw52.bsky.social