31st May 2009

2.30pm -5pm

An afternoon visit prompted by a phone call from Dave Ball to say he had found a Broad-bodied Chaser near the visitors centre. - The last of the 19 species of dragonflies / damselflies that I know to have occurred on the country park that I hadn't photographed....

Fortunately, the dragonfly was still there when I arrived and I managed to get a few reasonable photos... :-)male Broad-bodied Chaser - near visitors centre

30th May 2009

7am - 6pm, then moth trapping from 8.45pm - 1.20am

7am - 6pm

Highlights:

A pretty quiet day on the bird-front, good views of a Whitethroat and a Robin near the Marston Corner, and 2 Osytercatchers seen on the clubhouse Lawn

Red-veined Darters - 2 found by Dave Ball on the pond outside the cafe - possibly only the second UK sighting this year!

Also seen Large Red, Azure and Common Blue Damselflies, Hairy Hawkers, Four-spotted Chasers and a Black-tailed Skimmer

Moth Trapping

Absolutely brilliant!!

c15 Elephant Hawkmoths

3 Lime Hawkmoths

2 Eyed Hawkmoths

2 Privet Hawkmoths

1 Poplar Hawkmoth

(also a Barn Owl seen at beginning of moth trapping)

A few photos of a co-operative male Whitethroat - Marston corner of Stewartby Lake
Robin - Marston corner of Stewartby Lake Red-veined Darter - near cafeCommon Blue Butterflies

Large Red Damselfly
male Black-tailed Skimmer

Common Spotted Orchid - Stewartby LakeA few shots of Elephant Hawkmoths Poplar Hawkmoth
Eyed HawkmothLime Hawkmoths

Privet Hawkmoth

18th May 2009

My MVCP yearlist to date (118):

Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Mallard
Garganey
Shoveler
Red-crested Pochard
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Scaup
Common Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Osprey
Red Kite
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Marsh Harrier
Kestrel
Hobby
Peregrine
Pheasant
Grey Partridge
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Snipe
Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Curlew
Whimbrel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Iceland Gull
Kittiwake
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Sandwich Tern
Little Tern
Black Tern
Arctic Skua
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Stock Dove
Turtle Dove
Cuckoo
Barn Owl
Swift
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Skylark
House Martin
Sand Martin
Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Whinchat
Stonechat
Wheatear
Mistle Thrush
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Cetti's Warbler
Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
Reed Warbler
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch
Linnet
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting

15th May 2009

Highlights:
Black Tern - 1 briefly on Stewartby Lake mid afternoon
3+ Green Hairstreak - Stewartby Lake near sewage works stream outlet
Newly emerged Four-Spotted Chaser - Sensory Garden
Cinnabar Moth - near boardwalk

Newly emerged Four-spotted Chaser climbing away from casing - Sensory Garden

List of the 88 species of bird seen in last two weeks (additions to my MVCP yearlist in bold):

Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Shelduck
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Marsh Harrier
Red Kite
Kestrel
Hobby
Peregrine
Pheasant
Grey Partridge
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Redshank

Common Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Little Tern
Black Tern
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Stock Dove
Turtle Dove

Cuckoo
Barn Owl

Swift
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Skylark
Pied Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Wren
House Martin
Sand Martin
Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Whinchat
Mistle Thrush
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Cetti's Warbler (heard only)
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Skylark
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Bullfinch
Linnet
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting

14th May 2009

Highlights:
6.30 - 8.30am Gullwatch
1 Whimbrel flew over, headed off over the scrapyard corner

3 - 6.15pm
1st summer Common Gull and a close-in Great-crested Grebe - Stewartby Lake sluice
Buzzard - Marston corner of Stewartby Lake (3.30pm)
Turtle Dove flew past gullwatch towards Marston corner (6.05pm)

Great Crested Grebe - Stewartbly Lake sluice

1st summer Common Gull - Stewartby Lake sluice

13th May 2009

Highlights:

A very enjoyable & productive day... :-)

4 Ruff-sized waders - seen about 6.30am from the gullwatch -they flew along the far clubhouse bank and disappeared into Rookery

53+ Arctic Terns - Groups of 11, 14, 20 & 8 (= 53) with another group of 20 about 10 minutes after the first group of 20 - although these birds flew in from the West (over the MVCP Visitors Centre) and departed to the East (over sluice) as all the other groups did I have not included them in my total in case the first group of 20 doubled back on itself...

2 Bar-tailed Godwits - flew in at the same time and headed off in the same direction as the group of 8 Arctic Terns

3 Little Terns - I found 2 of the birds and Dave Odell independently found the other bird. It wasn't until about 5 minutes after the two of us met up at the sluice that we realised that there were actually 3 birds present.

Peregrine - 1 on the Chimneys found by Dave Odell.

Turtle Dove -Stewartby Lake sluice

A few photos of the Little Terns, excellent birds...

Two of the groups of Arctic Terns A very poor record shot of one of the two very smart summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwits

Turtle Dove - Stewartby Lake sluice

12th May 2009

Highlights:

Six raptor species - Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Kestrel, Peregrine, Sparowhawk & Buzzard
7 Probably Arctic Terns seen flying across far end of Stewartby Lake from the gullwatch
4+ Green Hairstreaks - Stewartby Lake near sewage works stream lake outlet
Cuckoo & 2 Stock Doves - Wetland 9
2 Kingfishers - gullwatch

Marsh Harrier - Wetland 2
Buzzard - Wetland 3Kestrel - Stewartby LakeMagpieGreen Hairstreak - Stewartby LakePeacock - near entrance to gullwatch

11th May 2009

Highlights:
2 Grey Partridge - between Wetlands 3 & 9
c. 8 Common Terns - Stewartby Lake
Redshank (heard only) near Visitors Centre
2 Oystercatchers - Clubhouse lawn
Many small parties of Swifts flying around

Butterflies:
Small Heath, Common Blue, Orange Tip, Dingy & Grizzled Skipper - Stewartby Lake

Odonata:
Four Spotted Chasers, Hairy Dragonflies and Azure Damselfly

Common Tern - Stewartby Lake

Grey Partridge - between Wetlands 3 & 9
Four-spotted Chaser - near Sewage worksLarge Red Damselfly - Sensory GardenCanada Geese -near Visitors Centre

10th May 2009

Highlights:
Arrived at lake at 10am missing the 2 Black Terns that had been seen at 9-9.50am
c.6 Common Terns present
2 Oystercatchers first seen on Clubhouse lawn, then in flight over the edge of Stewartby lake near the Visitors Centre
Peregrine - Flying near the brickwork chimneys Green Hairstreak, Dingy & Grizzled Skippers 1+ Hobby - over railway line
Oystercatcher - Stewartby Lake
Green Hairstreak - Stewartby Lake
Large Red Damselfly - Boardwalk

9th May 2009

Guided Walk 8 - 11am
Highlights:
Whinchat near edge of Stewartby Lake just past boardwalk
Red Kite over Pillinge

I then went on a successful trip to see the Temminck's Stint at Castle Mills before going back to the Country Park in the afternoon

Whinchat - Stewartby Lake

Willow Warbler -Between Visitors Centre & Sewage works
Four-spotted Chaser - Stewartby Lake

Common Blue - Stewartby Lake