28th February 2009

7am - 6pm

Highlights:
2+ Bullfinch - Marston Corner of Stewartby Lake
3+ Reed Buntings, 3+ Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming & 2 Redwing - Sewage Works

CURLEW - Initially heard then seen flying over Sewage Works and Visitors Centre. Then seen twice in Long Meadow between 8.45 and 1pm as well as being heard several times in flight during that time.

Cetti's Warbler - heard calling frequently in Wetland 3 reedbed but not seen
Adult Mediterranean Gull - Seen on Pillinge and Long Meadow
Partial albino Black-headed Gull - Pillinge
2+ Skylarks singing - Long Meadow

Gull Roost
3 Mediterranean Gulls ( 2 adults, 1 1st winter)
1 Imm (2nd winter) Iceland Gull
Partial albino Black-headed Gull

Curlew - Seen in flight over Sewage works & Visitors Centre as well as around Long Meadow & Pillinge

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Sewage Works

Redwing - Sewage Works

Mediterranean Gull - Flying between Pillinge and Long Meadow

juv - 1st winter Iceland Gull - Gull roost

(MVCP Year List 70 - Curlew & Skylark added)

27th February 2009

7am - 6pm
Highlights:
Goldcrest and Chiff-chaff - Sewage Works
Green & Great Spotted Woodpeckers plus Jay - near Visitors Centre
5 Buzzards seen at same time from near lagoon corner of Stewartby Lake (Probably 7-8 different birds about)
Cetti's Warbler - called once, near Wetland 3 hide
Comma butterfly - seen infront of Wetland 3 hide
Reed Bunting seen & Yellowhammer heard - Visitors Centre
Adult Mediterranean Gull - Long Meadow

Gull Roost
2 Mediterranean Gulls and Imm Iceland Gull

Sunrise - Gullwatch

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Long Meadow

Long-tailed Tit - Pillinge

Woodpigeon - Wetland 3

Reed Bunting - Near Visitors Centre

(MVCP Year List 68 - Chiff-chaff & Cetti's Warbler (heard-only) added)

26th February 2009

7.30am - 1pm & 3pm-6pm

Highlights:
(Morning)
Kingfisher - Marston corner of Stewartby Lake
Goldcrest with Long-tailed Tits - Sewage Works
Buzzard, 2 Bullfinch and Pheasant - Pillinge
6+ Pochard - Wetland 3
33 Wigeon - Long Meadow

A successful lunch-time trip to see the 7 Waxwings at Woburn, thanks to Bob Hook for the lift...

(Afternoon)
Snipe and Fox - Wetland 1
Redshank - Sailing Club bank of Stewartby Lake
Imm Iceland Gull -Stewartby Lake roost (Found by Keith Owen)

Male Bullfinch

Luttle Grebe - Wetland 3


Pheasant - Pillinge feeding station
Black-headed Gulls - Near access track
7 Waxwings - Woburn

(MVCP Year List 66 - Iceland Gull added)

24th January 2009

8.00am - 11.30am and 2.00 - 4.30pm
Highlights:
Gullwatch 8-8.30am
33+ Cormorants on lake

Several Siskins in Sewage works plantation
Snipe - flushed from small pond near bramble meadow

(11.30am - 2pm - Successful trip to see the excellent Snow Bunting at Brogborough Landfill and unsuccessful attempt to see Bean Geese at Cainhoe)

2.30pm - 4.30pm
c. 6 Wigeon on the access track pond
The usual ducks on the Pillinge

Gullwatch (3.30 -4.30pm)
Adult Med Gull
(Steve Blain had a Raven fly over the A421 from the direction of Stewartby Tip)

Snow Bunting - Brilliant bird, unfortunately at Brogorough Landfill site rather than MVCP....

A couple of record shots of the adult Med Gull on Stewartby Lake gull roos this afternoon.

(MVCP Year-list: Still 65)

2nd January 2009

Gull watch 3.15-4.20pm
Highlights:
Adult Med Gull
Adult and 4th Winter Yellow-legged Gull
Adult Caspian Gull

(MVCP Year-list: 65 - Med, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls added)

1st January 2009

(8.05am - 2.45pm and 3.10 - 4.20pm)

Daylisting for the start of the New Year - A total of 6o species seen with two additional species (Green Woodpecker and Goldcrest) heard only.

Highlights:
Water Rail - Marston corner and gullwatch
Pair of Stonechat - Setaside field behind sewage works
Bullfinch - Marston corner and Pillinge
1+ Lesser Redpoll with c.10 Siskin - Sewage works plantation (Further Siskins seen between wetlands and railway)
Scaup, Red-crested Pochard and Grey Wagtail - Sailing club bank of Stewartby Lake (Grey Wagtail also seen in Marston corner)
Sparrowhawk and Kestrel - Gullwatch
Lesser Redpoll with Siskins at sewage works plantation
Siskin - Between wetlands and railway

Full MVCP / Stewartby Lake Daylist:

Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Mallard
Shoveler
Red-crested Pochard (Near Stewartby Lake Sailing clubhouse)
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Scaup (Near Stewartby Lake Sailing clubhouse)
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Pheasant
Water Rail (2 are showing quite frequently at the Marston Corner stream inlet to Stewartby Lake, and another was seen at the gullwatch)
Moorhen
Coot
Lapwing
Snipe
Redshank (The Pillinge and near Stewartby Lake Sailing clubhouse)
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker (Heard only)
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Grey Wagtail (Sewage works area and the near Stewartby Lake Sailing clubhouse)
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Stonechat (2 in setaside field behind sewage works)
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Goldcrest (Heard only)
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Starling
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin (Several groups around, most often in the sewage works plantation or in the ditch between the scrapyard corner and the gullwatch)
Lesser Redpoll (Sewage works plantation)
Bullfinch (around the Marston corner and the Pillinge)
Reed Bunting

31st December 2008

(8.30am - 2.30pm)

Highlights:

Water Rail, Bullfinch and Kingfisher - Marston corner of Stewartby Lake

Sparrowhawk - Pillinge

c.10 Siskins and Yellow-legged Gull - Scrapyard corner of Stewartby Lake

Scaup, Grey Wagtail, Redshank and Mink - Sailing club corner of Stewartby Lake

Song Thrush - Sewage works

Mink - Sailing club corner of Stewartby Lake

Siskin - Scrapyard corner of Sewartby Lake

Adul Yellow-legged Gull - Scrapyard corner of Stewartby Lake.