Saturday 22 April 2017

Newmillerdam - 21 April 2017

Linnet and woodcock added to the site list this week, to bring the yearly total to 76.

Having twice been pretty sure that I'd flushed woodcock this year around Newmillerdam and Seckar, I'd hoped that a spot of birding after work might give me a better opportunity to be sure. Seckar Wood didn't let me down. Two woodcock flew together over the heathland on Wednesday evening, and repeated the display for me again today.

There are two pairs of great crested grebes settled at Newmillerdam and the juvenile whooper swan has now departed. It was photographed on Sunday, but had departed when I visited on Wednesday.

Three lapwing were feeding in the field west of Seckar Wood today, which has been recently ploughed and I recorded my first linnet at Seckar on Monday.

Twice this year I've met people at Seckar who have reported lesser-spotted woodpecker to me. One pretty adamant that it was a lesser he'd seen, the other reporting what someone else had told him. On neither occasion was I able to verify the record and boy have I looked for them this year! So whilst I've not had any luck, it's possible that they might still be in the Newmillerdam/ Seckar area.

Friday 21 April
Black-headed gull (3), blackcap (4), Canada goose (9), carrion crow (33), chiffchaff (8), collared dove (1), coot (27), great crested grebe (4), grey wagtail (1), kestrel (2), lapwing (3), linnet (1), long-tailed tit (1), mallard (106), moorhen (6), mute swan (7), skylark (1), swallow (12), willow warbler (4), woodcock (2), yellowhammer (1).

Wednesday 19 April
Black-headed gull (19), blackcap (6), Canada goose (9), chiffchaff (5), coal tit (1), collared dove (4), coot (28), green woodpecker (2), grey heron (1), greylag goose (1), kestrel (1), kingfisher (1), linnet (11), long-tailed tit (1), mallard (113), mute swan (7), swallow (6), willow warbler (5), woodcock (2), woodpigeon (69), yellowhammer (7).

Monday 17 April
Blackcap (2), chiffchaff (4), great spotted woodpecker (2), green woodpecker (1), grey partridge (2), jay (4), linnet (1), skylark (3), treecreeper (1), willow warbler (6), yellowhammer (10).

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