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Showing posts with the label Wildfowl count.

Counting Ducks! and a Ruff?!

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Ok so it's been a bit of cold of late and yesterday's monthly duck count at Watermead CP was not too hard due to very little unfrozen water! The highlights during the count included the long staying female Red Crested Pochard on the water ski pit, 2 Ruddy Ducks at a site nearby, a male Brambling and Water Rail at the feeding station at Kingfisher hide and up to four Cetti's Warblers in the park! After finishing the count I nipped down to Watermead CP South to meet Mark Rossell and Conor Thornton who were watching a Ruff walking round the car park and feeding area and showing down to five feet away! I got the feeling that the bird was a bit knackered and was feeding like mad and didn't care to much about the passing public or the bare footed jogger!!   Ruff in the car park at Watermead CP South Talking to Mark he told me that he was selling his Canon D30 and before you could say Santa Claus a deal was struck and I said I would buy it off him!? With the deal stru...

Watermead CP North wildfowl count 17th January 2010.

Here is the latest wildfowl count for Watermead CP North (which includes the Birstall section): Great Crested Grebe: 17, Cormorant: 19, Grey Heron: 7, Mute Swan: 97, Canada Goose: 63, Wigeon: 252, Gadwall: 146, Teal: 4, Mallard: 89, Shoveler: 39, Pochard: 36, Tufted Duck: 84, Moorhen: 20, Coot: 294, Greylag Goose: 1, Little Grebe: 6, Goldeneye: 17, Goosander: 11, Water Rail: 4, Red-crested Pochard: 1, Lapwing: 40, and Mandarin Duck: 1. Other sightings included: 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Buzzard, and 1 Chiffchaff.

Watermead CP North Wildfowl Count 19th September 2009.

On Saturday after working the early shift, I counted Ducks, Geese and Swans down at Watermead CP North(+ Birstall) for the start of the winter season wildfowl counts. Here is a list of the birds I recorded: Mute Swan: 33, Canada Goose: 110,Wigeon: 63,Gadwall: 56, Teal: 5, Mallard: 72, Shoveler: 4, Red-crested Pochard: 1 (Eclipse male:first record for the count!),Tufted Duck: 36, Little Grebe: 5, Great crested Grebe: 21, Cormorant: 31, Grey Heron: 5, Moorhen: 28, Coot: 112, Lapwing: 88, Kingfisher: 2, Greylag Goose(domestic):4, Sparrowhawk: 1, Kestrel: 2. Highlight of the count was of course the first record of an eclipse male Red-crested Pochard and good numbers of returning Wigeons.