News archive

Saturday, 16 May 2009

Lakeside update

Despite promises and publication in the Doncaster local paper that a planting project was planned for the lake to provide sufficient cover and nesting materials for the resident birds, there is absolutely no sign of this and, in fact, there are less plants in the 'marine' area than there were last year. My last information was that an audit of the lake and plants was being made!!

Last week a coot was sitting on a small nest. made from any flotsom and jetsom the pair could find, including weed from the bottom of the lake. That was such a small nest that it has been washed away with yesterday's heavy rain.
However, a little good news in that there is a mallard with 8 ducklings and a Canada Goose with 5 goslings. I suspect that they used an area on the island. A pair of swans are nesting in the area of reeds near to the Keepmoat Stadium. They are probably the same pair who successfully reared 4 cygnets to adulthood there last year. The youngsters are still resident on the lake.
There are a good number of swifts and house martins flying overhead, taking advantage of the supply of insects, as well as a family of long-tailed tits in the bushes adjacent to the farm in the 'marina' area.

The farm continues to attract magpies, wood pigeons and jackdaws, as well as house sparrows, gold finches and great and blue tits. The Canada geese have found a plentiful supply of grazing as well as being richly supplied with sugar beet in the winter!!

Many of the little and great crested grebes appear to have left, although there is 1 pair of great crested in the marina area, but nowhere for them to build a nest!!

A further update will be given when I have any more news.