Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve - 15th April 2020

My visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve today started early and despite it being very sunny it was also cold with some remaining frost on the ground.

I saw 3 singing male Blackcaps and 1 singing male Chiffchaff with a further 3 singing Blackcaps and 1 singing Chiffchaff heard but not seen. 

In many years of wildlife photography, I never been able to successfuly photograph a Blackcap. The Blackcap is a very common summer visitor to the UK and the males are particularly vocal when they first arrive in the spring. However, it is also a very elusive bird and it can be hard to see let alone photograph. Today, I managed to photograph 2 different males. It was a bit like the number 100 Chelmsford-Basildon-Lakeside bus .... you wait for ages and then 2 turn up 😀.

I also saw 2 Song Thrushes singing from high in the trees and in my experience it is usually easier to see and hear this species early in the morning or in the evening.

I watched, listened and photographed a singing male Blackbird for several minutes. Is there any bird song that matches the Blackbird’s melodious low-pitched fluted warble as a soothing tonic for the soul during these troubled times?

“And for that minute a blackbird sang close by“ …. “Adlestrop” by Edward Thomas



There was 1 Moorhen on the pond near the Eastfield Road entrance, 2 on the reedy pond at the east end of the boardwalk and another strangely walking down the main track before flying up in to the trees.

There was a male Mallard briefly (before flying off) on the small pond with the short boardwalk approach.

I also heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker along the boundary path adjacent to the A127.

Finally, I was able to add another species to my site list: a single female House Sparrow.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
House Sparrow
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Mallard
Moorhen

Here are some photos from my visit:

Photo: male Blackcap

Photo: male Blackcap

 Photo: male Blackbird

Photo: Robin

 Photo: Blue Tit

 Photo: Blue Tit

Photo: Great Tit

 Photo: Woodpigeon

 Photo: Jay

 Photo: pond near Eastfield Road entrance

Photo: Reedmace

Site totals to date:

Birds = 25

Mammals = 1

Butterflies= 3

Dragonflies and damselflies = 0

Reptiles = 0

Amphibians = 0

💚🦆 🦉 🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature