30th April 2011

Turnstone - Pillinge

Lesser Whitethroat - Singing near access track

Little Egret - Pillinge

Dawn Chorus Walk (4.30am - 7.45am)

A good turn out with about 25 people on the walk and several of us leading it. Although nothing unusual was seen we saw a good selecton of birds and had unusually good views of a Reed Warbler in the Marston Corner reedbed that most people saw in the scopes.

MVCP year ticks on the walk Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat & Swift.

After the walk and breakfast Bob Hook & I went down the access track and I got some video of a singing Lesser Whitethroat:

In the afternoon I went back to the Pillinge and was very pleased to find a Turnstone (MVCP Year Tick, at least) on the brick island there. If I have ever seen a Turnstone on the park before it was at least 20 years ago...There was also a Little Egret on the Pillinge.

MVCP Year list now... 98 (Birds added today Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Swift & Turnstone - with Cuckoo and Lesser Whitethroat now seen as well as heard. Additional heard-only species: Cetti's Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler & Water Rail.

29th April 2011

Purple Heron!! - Flying from Wetland 9 towards Rookery, awful photos, but a great bird... (MVCP and County Tick)
Holly Blue -surprisingly this seems to be the first one I have photographed on the park.

Highlight of the day was undoubtedly seeing the 1st summer Purple Heron drop into the reeds at the back of wetland 9 and then fly off again towards Rookery. The heron had been seen flying into the reeds at the Brogborough Lake gullwatch and then we got a call saying it was heading back this way. I was incredibly lucky to be at the right place to see it... :-)
My MVCP yearlist now stands at 92 (Purple Heron, Whitethroat and Stock Dove added today) plus Water Rail, Cuckoo, Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Cetti's heard only)

28th April 2011

Goldcrest - Stewartby Lake Gullwatch

Gullwatch 5.30 -7.30pm

1 Hobby (MVCP Year Tick)

1 Oystercatcher - sailing club bank
3 Common Terns

Several House Martins (MVCP Year Tick) with small groups of Swallows

Several Buzzards over Rookery and 1-2 Grey Herons

MVCP Yearlist now 89 (With Cetti's Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and Water Rail heard only)

10th April 2011

Three Red Kites - a very poor shot showing all three birds, seen flying over Stewartby Lake from my parent's garden.

Starling - Access Track.

Thanks to a call from Neil Wright I saw two adult Little Gulls on Stewartby Lake about 10am. (MVCP year-tick)

In the afternoon 3 Red Kites drifted over Stewartby Lake as seen from my parent's garden. (Garden tick)

MVCP Year List now 87 (+ Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler heard only)

9th April 2011

Common Buzzard over Wetland 3

Speckled Wood - Pillinge

A very quiet day on the park. A few hours sky-watching from the visitors centre provided views of several Buzzards and a Peregrine distantly over Rookery.

8th April 2010

White Wagtail - Sailing club lawn (8.30am)

Another White Wagtail - Jubilee Cottages overview in the afternoon

Dunnock - Jubilee Cottages allotments

Mute Swan - Stewartby Lake

Brimstone - Pillinge

Comma - Pillinge

A fairly quiet day on the park:

A white Wagtail on the Stewartby Lake sailing club lawn at 8.30am and another at the Jubilee Cottages overview about 5.55pm.

At least 20 Willow Warblers singing all around the MVCP as well as a few Blackcaps. (Both MVCP year-ticks)

2 Common Terns on Stewartby Lake in the afternoon. (Another MVCP year-tick)

A Red Kite seen distantly over Stewartby Tip at 5.30pm.

A grasshopper Warbler hear about 200 yards from the Jubilee Cottages overview at 6.30pm.