this report is from Cath Dewhurst, resident volunteer NKM:
Radar Pool.Great crested grebe – 2Black-headed gull – 50+Shelduck – 350+Avocet – 50+Canada goose – 4Tufted duck – 4Common tern – 4
Flamingo Pool.Shelduck – 76Avocet – 8Oystercatcher – 2
Black Barn Pools.Shelduck – 46Avocet – 4Black-headed gull – 28Redshank – 8Mallard – 22Lapwing – 8Little egret – 1
Several skylark singing overhead along Mead Wall.
Cliffe Creek.Black-headed gull – 40+Shelduck – 3
Conoco.Black-headed gull – 46Great crested grebe – 5Coot – 4Common tern – 2
Allen’s Pond.ChiffchaffNightingale
Along the Saxon Shore Way.Nightingale – 2Whitethroat – 5Chaffinch – 4Kestrel – 1
Plus well over a 100 swift feeding over Radar and Black Barn Pools.
Small flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets seen around the reserve.
I've just received this report from a new contributor, Andrew Millar:
I spent just over an hour with my dog and two-year old whilst my wife was at Bluewater. We hung around between the two viewing mounds looking over the black barn pools.
Avocet - 60+LapwingsRedshanksGreenshank - 1 flitting between the 2nd and 3rd black barn pools.Swift - lots over the pools or moving through.Reed Warbler - several calling by the little loop behind the 1st viewing mound.Med Gull - 2 adults over from the fields towards the 1st viewing mound.Skylark - 2 singing over the fields on the other side of the track between the viewing mounds.Greylag Goose - 2 flew over.Dunlin - 12 across the 2nd and 3rd pools.Kestrel - hunting between the viewing mounds.Ringed Plover - 4 on the 3rd black barn pool.Little Egret - 2 in flight.Lesser Black-backed Gull - a few passing over.
thanks Andy!
As you leave the car park and make your way to the Reserve there is a bank of flowering brambles opposite the Conoco Depot on the raised section of road. At the moment this is attacting a good variety and number of Bumble Bees. Yesterday I recorded bombus pratorum (early nesting), humilis (brown banded carder), pascuorum (common carder), lapidarius (red-tailed), lucorum (white-tailed), terrestris (buff-tailed) and a probable muscorum (moss carder). Also present were several cuckoo bumble bees including barbutellus (Barbut’s), campestris (field) and sylvestris (forest). Although few and far between this year there was a single specimen of sylvarum (shrill carder) also present.
In previous days I also recorded vestalis (vestal cuckoo bee), hortorum (garden) and hypnorum (tree ) which is a recent colonist to the UK from the Continent.
thanks Paul!
Radar Pool and islandsBlack-headed gulls 40+, some with chicksShelduck – 210Avocet 50+Common tern - 2Oystercatcher – 1Great crested grebe -1Lesser black backed gull – 6 adults and 12 immature birdsMediterranean gulls – several calling overhead
FlamingoShelduck – 120Mallard – 1Oystercatcher – 1Common tern – 2, on the tern raftLittle egret – 1, flying overAvocet – 6
Cliffe CreekOystercatcher – 3Black – headed gull – 5Shelduck – 2Redshank – 1 - all feeding on the mudflats
Black Barn poolsAvocet – 28Shelduck – 50+Black-tailed godwit – 12Mallard – 10Black headed gull – 20Lapwing – 10Redshank – 10Gadwall – 1Common gull – 1Greenshank – 1
thanks to Cath Dewhurst, resident volunteer NKM, for these sightings