An interesting few hours at Shotton Pools NR produced a good variety of birds on a gorgeous, crisp, clear and calm autumnal morning.
Two Water Rails calling from reeds at the side of the metalled track started the ball rolling and a brace of Goldeneye plus a quintet of Pochard accompanied the more numerous Tufties, Gadwall and Common Teal on the ‘Tern Raft Pool.’
The shallow pool to the south-east of the Ringing Hut held a score or so of feeding Common Snipe and as I inched further along the path, I flushed yet another Snipe – this time a Jack Snipe that shot out a few feet in front of me before darting silently to the reeds on the opposite side
Almost immediately a couple of small passerines took to the wing from the fringe of the water a little further on. Both birds called: a Reed Bunting first and then the second - either a Rock Pipit or a Water Pipit.
I can’t say that I am anywhere near being able to separate these two birds on flight call, but given that the passerine was feeding on the edge of fresh water, dare I think it could have been a Water Pipit?
Two more Water Rails - one squealing incessantly – were heard as I walked over towards the River Dee, plus a male Peregrine alighting on the Steelwork’s Power Station were other notable birds, but that was it for the day as the skies darkened and the heavens opened…
20+ Common Snipe
1 Jack Snipe
2 Goldeneye
5 Pochard
4 Water Rail
1 Water/Rock Pipit
1 Peregrine
1 Sparrowhawk
Until later.
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Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted you got the Jack Snipe.
As you will have noticed on my last list of latest additions to my Year List there,I put the Pipit down as a Rock,purely and simply because I thought that the 'Call' was closer to a Rock than a Water.
4 Water Rails is a great total,I only managed a couple of them last Winter,and they were in the reeds opposite to the main track that you drive down towards the Reserve.
Cheers Denzil
Hi Denzil,
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if the Pipit hangs around. I noticed from your last post that you had had a Rock Pipit, but I assumed you picked it up on the marsh somewhere...it actually looks quite good habitat for a Water Pipit, so fingers crossed...
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteMy,now almost regulation 5 hours at Shotton Pools Nature Reserve this morning,starting at 'First Light' again,produced quite possibly my best ever session on the Reserve.
The ball started rolling at 6.45am with a Merlin and a Short Eared Owl on the adjacent marsh,and then went on to produce a prolific amount of decent birds.
The highlight of the morning was 8 Mealy/Common Redpolls amongst a large flock of Lesser Reds,and the ball didn't stop rolling there.
There were 3 Water Rails calling from the reeds,the Jack Snipe was still roosting amongst the Commons,2 Grey Wagtails were on the edge of the Pools,and the Kingfisher was sitting sunning himself on top of the brambles at the side of the 'Dry Pool' behind the Ringing Hut.
Add to that plenty of Reed Buntings,Redwings,and at last 3 Coal Tits at the Feeding Station,( I've waited over 10 months for one here )and plenty of Wildfowl on the Pools,including a near Albino Mallard,and it really was an amazing morning.
SHOTTON POOLS NATURE RESERVE
'THE PATCH'
127 SPECIES RECORDED IN 2010
LATEST ADDITIONS - 07-11-2010
MERLIN,SHORT EARED OWL,MEALY/COMMON REDPOLL,GREY WAGTAIL,COAL TIT
07-11-2010
53 SPECIES RECORDED
MERLIN 1
SHORT EARED OWL 1
WREN 18
BLUE TIT 46
COOT 9
GOLDENEYE 8
GADWALL 28
MALLARD 11
NEAR ALBINO MALLARD 1
TUFTED DUCK 7
POCHARD 7
SHOVELER 1
REED BUNTING 7
COMMON SNIPE 17
LITTLE GREBE 1
RAVEN 1
MOORHEN 3
JACK SNIPE 1
CHAFFINCH 28
LAPWING 31
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER 2
REDWING 7
SKYLARK 2
LESSER REDPOLL 41
COAL TIT 3
MEALY/COMMON REDPOLL 8
GREY WAGTAIL 2
MEADOW PIPIT 2
WATER RAIL 3
LITTLE EGRET 4
GREY HERON 2
CORMORANT 14
STOCK DOVE 1
REDSHANK 6
KINGFISHER - MALE 1
Cheers Denzil