Trip reports

Greylake Moor - 5 June 2008

Thursday, 12 June 2008

Becky explained that the reserve has had a mixed fortune over the past years. Breeding species such as lapwing, redshank and curlew had arrived and started to nest only to be predated by fox and stoat. This year, however, three pairs of lapwings have successfully hatched young.
A good start was made when three calling redshanks flew overhead and many other species of smaller birds were noted. It was hoped to see yellow wagtails, but it seemed fewer had turned up this year and eventually only one was spotted.
Skylarks were singing above the wet meadows and other species located by their song included whitethroat, reed bunting, reed warbler and meadow pipit. There were large numbers of swifts overhead plus many swallows and house martins.
Other birds noted in the air were raven, kestrel, heron, lapwing, buzzard and hobby.
Probably the best sighting was of a cuckoo that sped across the field and alighted low down in a willow tree. At the hide, there were some first class views of little grebe, handsomely dressed in their breeding plumage, plus a coot with young.
The large pool on Westhay Heath was completely covered in shallow water and a group of black-tailed godwits were displaying a lovely russet plumage. Hobbies were commonplace with several overhead at a time, entertaining everyone as a they swooped about, grabbing their dragonfly prey and eating on the wing.
At Noah's Lake, there were superb views of nesting cormorants in the dead trees, several busily feeding well-grown youngsters. Waterfowl on view included Canada and greylag geese, mute swan, mallard, tufted duck, gadwall and pochard, there were also several little egrets and three common terns.
Crossing the road, the group made its way back to the observation platform that overlooks Ham Wall and Walton Heath. Again, there were lots of hobbies swooping around the sky, often directly overhead, giving superb views of this streamlined summer visitor.
There was a constant chorus of marsh frogs as the party settled on the bench seats as they had been told that a bittern was regularly flying between Ham Wall and Walton Heath. Sure enough, after about half an hour, the bittern appeared and flapped across the old railway line with shallow wingbeats, somewhat quicker than a heron.
To complete the day, a screeching gull drew everone's attention as it circled overhead, harrying a large bird of prey that was soon identified as an osprey. The white head with dark eye-streak being plainly visible as the bird circled in the cloudless sky. What a finale!