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June 2010 Diary and News
All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater, Cuckoo Bank and surrounding areas
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1st
18°C
Rain
SE2
Despite the weather conditions no passage was noted. 6 Ringed Plovers and 2 Dunlin remain and a Cormorant and 18+ Great Crested Grebes were present (PJ, GE). On the Swag the pair of Mute Swans still have the six cygnets they hatched a couple of weeks ago (GE).
The scarce Orange Foxtail (GE).
2nd
18°C
Sunny 
NW1
The erection of the Little Ringed Plover fencing continued today and the first chick was seen within the newly enclosed area at the northern end of the site. A Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Terns and 2 Oystercatchers were present (PJ, PW).
3rd
23°C
Sunny intervals
SE3
A profusion of Dingy Skippers and Common Blues were along the railway embankment adjacent to the Slurry Pool. Small Heaths were everywhere plus solitary Brimstone and Peacock between the Slurry Pool and the Swag. Several Four-spotted Chasers were on the Slurry Pool near the cotton grass, plus Broad-bodied Chasers alongside the boardwalk on the small pond. A Cuckoo was calling from the dead tree on North Heath with 3 Red Deer nearby, 2 being young stags in velvet (KM). 2 Oystercatchers were also present (PW).
4th
24°C
Sunny 
SSE2
2 Little Ringed Plovers were on the Sailing Club mud but it was feared that the nearby nest within the recently enclosed area was no longer active (PW). 1 Common Tern, a Cuckoo and 1 Little Grebe on the Slurry Pool were also present. Dragonflies included 10 Four-spotted Chasers, 2 Broad-bodied Chasers, a Black-tailed Skimmer and an Emperor Dragonfly catching insects with the greatest of ease (EO).
On Cuckoo Bank there were 3 Buzzards, a Kestrel, 3 Little Grebes, Stonechat and a Cuckoo. Butterflies included 2 Dingy Skippers, a Small Skipper, 20 Small Heaths, up to 30 Common Blues, 1 Speckled Wood, 2 Peacocks and a Small Copper. Dragonflies included up to 80 Four-spotted Chasers and a Broad-bodied Chaser (EO).
5th
Sat
24°C
Sunny intervals
SSW2
A Barn Owl hunted the Kingswood area at 3:30am (IW)
6th
Sun
22°C
Thundery showers
NW2
A Cormorant, 2 Common Terns, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers and a Cuckoo were present (PW).
7th
 
2 Oystercatchers and a Little Ringed Plover with attendant chick were present and a Cuckoo was again on the North Heath where there was also a brooding Lapwing (IW).
8th
 
9th
 
4 Ringed Plovers were present along with 2 Oystercatchers, a Cormorant, Common Tern, 3 Lesser Black-backs and 31 Canada Geese (GE). 
The pair of Little Ringed Plovers near the Sailing Club were present and were seen to exchange sitting duties (GE).
10th
 
11th
 
A Black-tailed Godwit flew north-west and a Common Tern was over the Swag (EO). The Little Ringed Plovers near the Sailing Club were not evident, 2 Oystercatchers were present along with 54 Canada Geese, 2 Herons, 15 Lesser Black-backs and 12 Black-headed Gulls (GE).
The Bog Pimpernel on the north shore is starting to bloom (GE)
On Cuckoo Bank a pair of Stonechats were with a single juvenile and another male was present on another area of the heath (EO) and a Grasshopper Warbler was seen with young (DO). 
12th
Sat
  
2 Oystercatchers, a Common Tern, Cormorant and Cuckoo were noted (NS, PW).
A 3cy Yellow-legged Gull was at Stubbers Green (PJ).
13th
Sun
  
A brief evening scan from the west shore produced a count of 85 Canada Geese, 15 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Herons and a Common Tern (GE).
14th
19°C
Cloudy
NE3
Little Ringed Plovers were heard calling from two areas along the west shore at around 23:00 (GE).
A Red Kite was seen over Clayhanger (AS).
At Stubbers Green there were 2 (adult and 4cy) Yellow-legged Gulls (PJ).
15th
21°C
Sunny intervals
NE2
The following were noted: Cuckoo, Common Tern, Kestrel, a Four-spotted Chaser, Meadow Brown, 8 Small Heaths, 3 Common Blues and a Red-eyed Damselfly was at Fly Pool (EO).
On Cuckoo Bank there were 3 Little Grebes but no sign of any young. A pair of Stonechat was at the top of the heath and a Hobby flashed through. Other raptors included Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. There seem to be a good number of Whitethroat and Linnets breeding on the heath and a Cuckoo called. Butter flies included 1 Small Heath, 7 Large Skippers and 2 Small Skippers. An Emperor Dragonfly was also seen (EO).
16th
22°C
Sunny
NE3
The Jeffrey's Swag Mute Swans still have all 6 of their cygnets surviving (GE).
The Plant Swag Mute Swans have wisely decided not to walk their nine cygnets across the by-pass to the near empty lake (GE).
Southern Marsh Orchid at Plant Swag (GE).
Nearly 200m of Little Ringed Plover fencing has disappeared from the Sailing Shore which has increased the threat to the pair that is still present in the area. Reports included a Cormorant, 82 Canada Geese, 3 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers (GE), 1 Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo, a family of Whitethroats and a pair of Grey Wagtail. There were thousands of roach spawning in the Swag (GR). At dusk a Southern Hawker was flying around Church Street (GE et al).
Southern Hawker (GE)
At Stubbers Green there were 4 (adult, 4cy and 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls (PJ).
17th
21°C
Sunny
NNE2
5 Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Tern and the Cuckoo was still calling. Last week in the pool above the Chasewater Heaths cafe, I saw a very large crayfish (GR).
At Stubbers Green there were 2 drake Teal, 156 Canada Geese, 15 Lapwings, a family of Lesser Whitethroats, 255 Lesser Black-backs, 5 Herring Gulls and 22  Black-headed Gulls. A 4cy Lesser Black-back carried a red ring with black G:L (GE).
18th
19°C
Showers 
NE2
An early morning visit produced 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Common Terns and a Cuckoo (IW).
19th
Sat
19°C
Cloudy
N3
At Stubbers Green there were over 600 Lesser Black-backs of which fewer than 15 were mature adults. 4 Yellow-legged Gulls (adult, 4cy and 2 3cy) were also present (PJ).
20th
Sun
22°C
Sunny
NNE1
 
The monthly WeBS count produced totals of 24 Mute Swans, 93 Canada Geese, 94 Mallard, 3 Gadwall, 22 Tufted Ducks, 155 Coot, 29 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Common Terns, 5 Herons, an Oystercatcher, a Lapwing and 12 Little Ringed Plovers, two pairs of which have a total of 6 downy young. On the canal there were 8 male Banded Demoiselles and a male Red-eyed Damselfly. A Cuckoo was calling from the North Heath and at dusk 30 Swifts and a Noctule were over the Slurry Pool and 30 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Lesser Black-backs were present but no roost developed (GE).
Male Red-eyed Damselfly (GE)
Male Banded Demoiselle (GE)
At Ryders Mere/Clayhanger there were 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 8 Oystercatchers (CM).
21st
22°C
Sunny
At 23:30 there was still a bright turquoise glow in the north-west sky, Little Ringed Plovers were very agitated near the Watersports Centre and two Oystercatchers were calling (GE).
At Stubbers Green there were 3 (adult, 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, 300 Lesser Black-backs, 15+ Herring Gulls (PJ), 2 Oystercatchers and a Little Ringed Plover (GE). There were 3 family parties of Willow Tits at Park Lime Pits (PJ).
22nd
22°C
Sunny

A Common Tern, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Common Hawker were seen. Along the canal there were 9 Banded Demoiselles, a male Emperor, a male Black-tailed Skimmer, a Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Woods and the first Ringlet of the year (EO). On the Swag there was a Kingfisher and 2 Cormorants. During the evening there were the first signs of a gull roost with a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull, 32 Lesser Black-backs and 20 Black-headed Gulls along with 4 Teal, 8 Lapwings and the usual Little Ringed Plovers (GE).
On Cuckoo Bank there was a Stonechat, an Emperor, Four-spotted Chaser and 2 Black-tailed Skimmers (EO).
23rd
22°C
Sunny 
W3
An Oystercatcher, Common Tern, 85 Canada Geese, 4 Herons and 5 Lapwings were present and by 20:00 40 Black-headed Gulls, including the first 2 juveniles of the summer, a 2cy Herring Gull, 30 Lesser Black-backs and a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull had gathered. The Little Ringed Plover fencing appears to be being ignored by most people with the pair by the Sailing Club being particularly disturbed (GE).
24th
23°C
Sunny intervals
W3
At dusk there were 70 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull, an adult Herring Gull showing all the features of the northern race argentatus, and 60 Black-headed Gulls along with 10 Lapwings, 2 Oystercatchers, a Heron and the usual Little Ringed Plovers (GE).
25th
24°C
Sunny
W2
At dusk the 4cy Yellow-legged Gull was present along with 50 Lesser Black-backs, 60 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Common Terns, a Curlew, 14 Lapwings and 6 adult Little Ringed Plovers were together near the Sailing Club (GE). In Jacks Wood there was a Nuthatch, Treecreeper, a pair of Green Woodpeckers with 2-3 juveniles and a Great Spotted Woodpecker with young (PW).
At Stubbers Green this evening there were 3 (2cy, 3cy, 4cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, 450  20+ Herring Gulls and 450 Lesser Black-backs including an adult intermedius type (PJ).
26th
Sat
27°C
Sunny intervals
SE2
Two Cormorants were on the Swag. At dusk the 4cy Yellow-legged Gull was present with 40 Lesser Black-backs and 115 Black-headed Gulls. As suspected, the pair of Little Ringed Plovers near the Watersports Centre has at least one chick (GE).
© G Evans
A 3cy Yellow-legged Gull was at Stubbers Green (GE).
27th
Sun
28°C
Sunny
SW3
A check on the progress of the Little Ringed Plovers produced broods of 4, 4, 3 and 2 downy chicks and 3 fledged juveniles. At least 16 adults were present along with 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Oystercatchers, 30 Lapwings, 3 Cormorants, 77 Lesser Black-backs, 29 Black-headed Gulls, 89 Canada Geese and 31 Tufted Ducks (GE).
At Stubbers Green tonight there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a 4cy intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull and the following ringed birds G:L, F:F, RORN (last seen on 4th August 2009) and D:C (last seen on 3rd August 2009), the latter two both being 5cy birds based on last year's aging (PJ).
28th
27°C
Sunny intervals
SW3
The gull roost is developing well with 200 Black-headed Gulls, over 300 Lesser Black-backs (including 1-2 probable intermedius), 1-2 Herring Gulls and at least 4 (3cy, 2 4cy, adult) Yellow-legged Gulls present (GE).
At Stubbers Green there were at least 4 Yellow-legged Gulls (GE).
29th
24°C
Light rain
W3
At dusk there were 370 large gulls including a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull, 130 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Oystercatchers and 4 Common Terns (GE).
A six hour session at Stubbers Green produced 6 (3 adults, 4cy, 2 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, over 850 other large gulls and a Common Sandpiper (PJ).
30th
26°C
Sunny
E1
3 Cormorants, 2 Oystercatchers and the usual Little Ringed Plovers were present (GE).
At Stubbers Green there were 5 (2 adult, 2 4cy, 3cy) Yellow-legged Gulls. During the month there have been 12 individuals noted; 4 adults, 3 4cy, 4 3cy and one 2cy. A Common Sandpiper was also present (PJ).