Monday, 3 May 2021

Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 3rd May 2021

Date: 3rd May 2021

Time: from 6:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, hazy sunshine, light wind, 5°C to 9°C

It was relatively quiet this morning compared with my recent visits.

Nonetheless, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were still very evident across the whole site. I saw 5 singing male Blackcaps and I heard a further 7 birds (either singing males or alarm calling males/females). I also saw 2 singing male Chiffchaffs, one of which seemed to be paired with a presumed calling female, and I heard a further 2 singing males.

The other bird highlights during my visit were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (1 flying over the track between the Spanish Steps and the storage shed and 1 which flew in to the trees adjacent to the track from the Eastfield Road entrance and the storage shed), 2 Moorhens again on Meadow Pond (possibly a breeding pair?), 5 fly-over Mallards (2 separate groups of 2 birds and 3 birds), 3 fly-over Canada Geese and another juvenile Robin.

With regard to mammals, I failed to see any Red Fox cubs or adults after the success on my last visit on 29th April 2021However, I did see 5 Grey Squirrels this morning, all in the trees alongside the track from the Spanish Steps, 2 of which were very small individuals which I presume are juveniles from this year’s first litter.

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

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Goldfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Moorhen
Mallard
Canada Goose
Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel

Here are some photos from my visit:















Photo: male Chiffchaff















Photo: male Chiffchaff















Photo: Robin
















Photo: Song Thrush















Photo: Grey Squirrel















Photo: Grey Squirrel

Site totals to date (2021 totals in brackets):

Birds = 42  (34)    
Mammals = 2  (1)
Butterflies = 18  (1)  
Dragonflies and damselflies = 9  (0)
Reptiles = 1  (0)
Amphibians = 1  (1)

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature


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