Monday 22 June 2020

Sunday 31st May to Sunday 21st June

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Sunday 31st May

Dina Burford: 2 Little Egret.

Leonard Winchcombe: Glanville Fritillary - most likely the same as seen on May 29th - presumably from the artificially managed population at Wrecclesham.

Dina Burford: Scarce Chaser dragonfly - refound and identified June 1st by Keith Lightfoot. First for site. 24th species of Odonata recorded on site. Scarce in Britain & category 3 on red list. Restricted to 6 main locations in UK & appears to be slowly colonising the River Blackwater.

(c) Dina Burford - Scarce Chaser

This colour-ringed Common Sandpiper "JTM", that was ringed in Stavbergvatnet (Norway) in 2014, and subsequently seen at Tice's Meadow in July 2014, 2017 & 2018, has been seen again today back in Stavbergvatnet! Photo by Dave Baker in 2014.

(c) Dave Baker - Common Sandpiper

A record 12 prey items delivered to the Kestrel box today (8 by male, 4 by female). Female still doing all the feeding. Male still dropping prey and scarpering. Young brooded 50% of day. Oldest chick went for his 1st walk. Then had to have a nap!



(c) Kelly Wright - Frog
(c) Simon Monk - Speckled Wood
(c) Wail Sabbagh - Broad-bodied Chaser
(c) Wail Sabbagh - House Sparrow


Monday 1st June

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

Scarce Chaser refound by Keith Lightfoot today.

The oldest Kestrel chick continued to explore the box today, although he didn’t look too happy at not being fed first. Young brooded for less than 40% of day. 11 prey deliveries (7 F, 4 M).



(c) Dina Burford - Little Egret
(c) Keith Lightfoot - Broad-bodied Chaser
(c) Keith Lightfoot - Red-eyed Damselfly
(c) Keith Lightfoot - Scarce Chaser
(c) Keith Lightfoot - Nesting Common Tern
(c) Colin Varndell - Dunnock
(c) Colin Varndell - Grey Heron
(c) Colin Varndell - House Sparrow



Tuesday 2nd June

John Hunt: Peregrine.

New Odonata species for site are like buses. Downy Emerald is the 25th species of Odonata recorded on site. 2 spotted in the Silt Pond by Dave Baker & Richard Seargent.

The 3 Kestrel chicks appear to be thriving. All 3 were mobile in the box today & the Female only brooded for 5% of day, roosting on the box ledge. 8 prey deliveries (4 M, 4 F).



(c) John Hunt - Reed Warbler
(c) Paul Mannering - Beautiful Demoiselle
(c) Colin Varndell - Meadow & Workings
(c) Melanie Nicholls - Emperor Dragonfly Ovipositing



Wednesday 3rd June

Kevin Duncan: Oystercatcher.

9 meals for our Kestrel chicks today, who have now begun to snatch the food from their mum, but still need her to tear off chunks. Female only brooded young for 19 minutes, & roosting on ledge tonight.



The male Barn Owl didn’t roost in the box today & hasn’t been seen since 21:49 Tuesday night. He did bring back 2 meals for the female Tuesday morning. It’s been suggested he may be tempting her to leave the failed eggs & hunt for herself.



(c) Colin Varndell - Feeding Station
(c) Colin Varndell - Flooded Hide
(c) Dina Burford - Deer with Fawn

 

Thursday 4th June

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

The 3 Kestrel chicks were delighted to see mum had been to the reopened KFC for breakfast this morning. F brooded young overnight & for 38% of day as temperature dropped. 10 prey deliveries.



(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebe
(c) Colin Varndell - House Martin
(c) Dina Burford - Banded Demoiselles



Friday 5th June

12 prey deliveries to the growing Kestrel chicks today (7F, 5M). Chicks only brooded for 19 minutes with the female roosting outside the box again. 



(c) Dina Burford - Common Tern
(c) Richard Bavin - Panoramic View from Horton's Mound

(c) Colin Varndell - Collared Dove
(c) Colin Varndell - Canada Geese


Saturday 6th June

Richard Seargent: Lesser Whitethroat.

Colin Varndell: Cuckoo.

Kevin Duncan: Ringed Plover.

Grim Styles: Nuthatches feeding young.

A record 14 meals delivered to the Kestrel chicks today, who have also started to swallow the smaller meals whole - with mum watching closely. Young brooded for only 45 minutes.



(c) John Hunt - Chiffchaff
(c) John Hunt - View From Horton's Mound
(c) Dina Burford - Reed Bunting
(c) Colin Varndell - Grey Heron
(c) Alan Brown - Roe Deer


Sunday 7th June

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

11 prey deliveries for the growing Kestrel chicks today. The younger 2 chicks are now exploring the box a bit more, and the female didn’t brood them at all today. One of the younger chicks did a bit of sunbathing by the entrance and another had fun playing with a spare leg he found laying around.



(c) John Hunt - Robin
(c) Simon Monk - Gulls & Terns Nesting on Sand Martin Bank Roof
(c) Colin Varndell - Cattle in the Meadow
(c) Colin Varndell - Song Thrush
(c) Dina Burford - Emperor Dragonfly Ovipositing


Monday 8th June

Dina Burford: Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) - new species for site.

Mealtimes in the Kestrel box are getting pretty raucous! The chicks are still working out what they can swallow whole, and what needs mum’s help. 13 prey deliveries today. The female didn’t brood the chicks at all today. The sun-worshipping chick was at it again, and the eldest was looking out of the box for the first time.



(c) Colin Varndell - Juvenile Starling
(c) Dina Burford - Alder Leaf Beetles
(c) Dina Burford - Green Woodpecker



Tuesday 9th June

Leonard Winchcombe: 2 Black-winged Stilts (male & female) - spent the whole day in the flooded Meadow. Still present at last light, but not the next morning. Seen mating at one point! First record of Black-winged Stilt on site, and only the 7th record for Surrey. 196th species of bird recorded on site, and 117th species recorded in 2020.

John Hunt: Mediterranean Gull (1st summer).

Anon: Green Sandpiper.


(c) Shaun Ferguson - Black-winged Stilts


The Kestrel chicks are still learning what they can & can’t swallow whole - mum is doing a good job making sure they all get fed. 10 prey deliveries today. No brooding.



(c) John Hunt - View From Horton's Mound
(c) Colin Varndell - Tufted Duck
(c) Colin Varndell - Black-winged Stilt
(c) Richard Waters - Black-winged Stilts
(c) Richard Waters - Roe Deer
(c) Shaun Ferguson - Blackcap


Wednesday 10th June

11 prey deliveries to the Kestrel chicks today, almost all of which were swallowed whole. The female continues to supplementary feed from cached prey to ensure all are getting fed. The Male still looks confused when he drops off a meal.



(c) Dina Burford - Black-headed Gull Nesting on Hide Roof
(c) Ian Matson - Black-headed Gull Chicks on Sand Martin Bank Roof


Thursday 11th June

Kevin Duncan reported that Gadwall have bred again this year - 3rd record of breeding on site after 2010 & 2011.

11 prey deliveries to the growing Kestrel chicks today. The Male has still not got the hang of food preparation. He dumped the bird (starling?) with the chicks who then used it as a pillow until the female later took it away, brought it back decapitated & then fed it to the chicks.



(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebe
(c) Colin Varndell - Moorhens
(c) Dina Burford - Canada Goslings


Friday 12th June

Jort Brough: Oystercatcher.

Phil Hughes: Redshank.

Peter Brown: 3 Little Egret.

Alan Brown: Large Tiger Hoverfly (Helophilus trivittatus) - new species for site.

10 prey deliveries to the Kestrel chicks today. All 3 chicks are now very mobile, lots of wing stretching and preening of their emerging feathers. 



(c) Colin Varndell - Moorhens
(c) Dina Burford - Great Crested Grebe
(c) Dina Burford - Red Admiral

(c) Alan Brown - Large Tiger Hoverfly


Saturday 13th June

Dina Burford: 3 Little Egret.

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper.

Dina Burford: Meadow Goat's-beard (Tragopogon pratensis) & Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) - new species for site. 

The Kestrel chicks continue to grow at speed. They are now all big enough to look out the box, & are regularly taking prey from mum at the ledge. Lots of stretching & some hopping. 7 prey deliveries today.



(c) Dina Burford - Black-headed Gulls Nesting on Hide Roof
(c) Dina Burford - Female Common Darter
(c) Colin Varndell - Buzzard
(c) Colin Varndell - Moorhen


Sunday 14th June

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Little Egret.

With all 3 Kestrel chicks now waiting at the ledge for food, it can be a bit of a bundle when it arrives! Just 5 prey deliveries today, supplemented by cached prey. Chicks now regularly backing up then hopping forward and flapping!



(c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Nesting Gulls & Terns on Sand Martin Bank Roof
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Nesting Great Crested Grebe
(c) Mark Elsoffer - Great Crested Grebe


Monday 15th June

Dina Burford: 5 Little Egret.

A warm day in the Kestrel box saw lots of panting & sleeping. Some intense wing flapping broke up a lazy day for the chicks. The chicks still had enough energy to snatch 10 meals from their parents.



(c) Colin Varndell - House Sparrow
(c) Simon Monk - Common Tern
(c) Dina Burford - Marbled White
(c) Shaun Ferguson - Panorama from Horton's Mound
(c) Shaun Ferguson - Juvenile Moorhen


Tuesday 16th June

Jort Brough: Swift landing on the Swift Tower.

The first Common Tern chicks hatched today on the Sand Martin Bank roof.

Just the 3 prey deliveries to the Kestrel chicks today. I’m not too concerned as there is plenty of food cached in the box, which they have been pecking at, and they all seem fine. Having looked at reports from other nest boxes, the number of prey deliveries can tail off as fledging approaches. They are now 24 days old. The BTO states they fledge after 32 & 37 days, returning to the box each night for a few weeks after.



Having sat on her eggs for 56 days, the female Barn Owl has thankfully now realised they unfortunately won’t be hatching. She left the box Tuesday evening & hasn’t returned. Now she can concentrate on feeding & getting in condition for next year. The Male has been bringing her food each night still so is still around. There are other Barn Owl boxes in their territory which they will be using, but keep checking the webcam as they may well return.



(c) Colin Varndell - Female Emperor Dragonfly Ovipositing
(c) Colin Varndell - Grey Heron
(c) Dina Burford - Work Begins on the "Green Space" Behind the New Garage
(c) Dina Burford - Nesting Great Crested Grebe


Wednesday 17th June

Dina Burford: 2 Little Egret.

Richard Horton: Common Sanpiper & Green Sandpiper.

12 prey deliveries for the Kestrel chicks today. Almost all of which resulted in a mass bundle at the box entrance when food appeared!



(c) Dina Burford - Nesting Gulls & Terns on Sand Martin Bank Roof
(c) Simon Monk - Common Tern Chick
(c) Colin Varndell - Emperor Dragonfly Ovipositing
(c) Colin Varndell - Black-headed Gull
(c) Alan Brown - Four-spotted Chaser
(c) Alan Brown - Marbled White
(c) Alan Brown - Ringlet


Thursday 18th June

Jort Brough: Common Sandpiper & Redshank.

Dina Burford: Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum) - new species for site.

By 7pm today, the Kestrel chicks had only had 1 meal & were all looking hungry (even the week old starling leg got eaten). Thankfully the parents delivered 5 meals between 7 & 8:30.



(c) Dina Burford - Nesting Black-headed Gulls


Friday 19th June

John Hunt: Little Egret & Peregrine.

Jort Brough: Newly fledged Great Crested Grebe.

8 meals brought to the Kestrel chicks today by their hard working parents. Lots of wing stretching & jumping around the box - not long till they fledge.



(c) John Hunt - Common Tern
(c) John Hunt - Emperor Dragonfly
(c) John Hunt - Reed Bunting




Saturday 20th June

Leonard Winchcombe: 7 Teal & newly fledged Great Crested Grebe chick.

Richard Seargent: Redshank & 14 Great Crested Grebe.

Dina Burford: Little Egret & Green-veined White.

The eldest Kestrel chick leapt onto the nestbox ledge this morning for the 1st time. He was a little unsteady but repeated the trick 2 more times today. 7 prey deliveries by the adults.



(c) Alan Brown - Common Scorpion Fly
(c) Dina Burford - Green-veined White
(c) Dina Burford - Small Tortoiseshell

(c) Colin Varndell - Carrion Crow
(c) Colin Varndell - Mute Swans


Sunday 21st June

Colin Varndell: Hawfinch (in hedgerow between Bat Lake & Workings).

John Hunt: 3 Little Egret.

Third record of Hawfinch on site, last recorded 22/02/18. 118th species recorded on site in 2020.

The eldest juvenile Kestrel spent long periods sat on the ledge today, & was joined a couple of times by one of his siblings. 6 prey deliveries today.



(c) Jane Maskew - View Over Western Silt Pond
(c) Colin Varndell - Great Crested Grebe
(c) Colin Varndell - Red Kite

(c) Dina Burford - Mute Swans