Dunstable Sewage Works 06-10-2013

Once again the first Sunday of the month visit arrived today, unfortunately for the 4th month in a row the fishermen were on site when we arrived, so there were not many birds on the ponds 1, 2, 3 & 4. I can also report that due to a huge effort by Rob Dazley and a few helpers the scrape has now been fully cleared and will from hear on in give everybody in the hide fantastic views of the scrape and ponds to the side, well done to all those who have put the effort in, it is a great improvement. Unfortunately not too much water in the scrape today as it needed to be dry to enable all the works, but next month should be fine.

My bird list today is as follows, Kestrel, Buzzard, Magpie, Jay, Crow, Jackdaw, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bulfinch, Meadow Pipit,  Reed Bunting, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail, Grey Heron, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Black Headed Gull, Kingfisher,Teal, Pochard, Blackbird, Song & Mistle Thrush. Some photo's from the Hide enclosed

Dunstable Sewage Works Sunday 7th July 2013

What a lovely day weather wise in fact probably too hot at 28 deg! Had a great start to the day on the photography front, with some nice shots of Swift, Blackbird and Goldfinch in the garden early this morning before moving on to the Dunstable Sewage Works for a brief visit today as it was the first Sunday of the month.

Things were quite active at DSW this morning with lots of Sedge, Willow & Reed Warblers, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Wren, Blackcap, Canada Geese, Coot, Moorhen, Swift, House Martin, Buzzard, Mallard & Tufted Ducks, Magpie, Green Sandpiper, Common Tern, Black Headed Gulls and Heron amongst others, many with young by their sides.

I was treated to a blackcap singing in the car park on arrival, and on my travels around the site spotted all the above. Got some nice sequence shots of a Common Tern scanning the pond for a meal, it eventually dived and got the fish but I missed the important bit as usual?

Dunstable sewage works Sunday 3rd March 2013 started cold, frosty and misty and ended up with lovely sunshine late on.
Thought this month I would make a list of the birds I spotted today during the 3 1/2 hours on site.

On view Kingfisher,  Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Wigeon, Pochard, Canada Goose, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Black Headed Gull, Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, a pair of Reed Bunting, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Crow, Wood Pigeon, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Coot, Moorhen.

As you can see from the pictures the Grey Heron bit off more than he could chew?

Sat in the hide for ages, I heard the Water Rail but it never showed today!

Spotshanks

Two summer plumaged Spotted Redshanks, and an assortment of waders (Spotshank, Ruff, Redshank, and Green Sand) on Derek White's Eggs pit, 19th April 2011.

Willington.

Willow Warblers feeding all over the place, at least 5 Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank.

Willington. 3rd August 2009.

I spent a couple of hours at Willington, first thing, getting back into the swing of things after a lengthy lay off. A few common terns present and a few green sandpipers.

There were quite a few young goldfinches around and what seemed to be good numbers of green woodpecker. Plenty of butterflies everywhere and on the way back to the car at least 2 young wrens clambering around waiting for the parents to feed them.