Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 5th February 2023

Date: 5th February 2023

Time: from 9:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 3°C to 7°C

This was only my second visit of the year to the site following the first on 2nd January 2023.

During that first visit, I only recorded 12 bird species and nothing especially notable. In a complete contrast, this morning’s visit produced 20 bird species including a first record for the site for me plus 8 other first records for 2023.

Fieldfare was a first record for the site with a pair heard calling and then seen flying high over Meadow Pond. This record took my total species list for the site to 45.

First records for 2023 were as follows: Redwing (2 flying over Meadow Pond and 5 around Fox Pond), Song Thrush (1 male singing from high in the trees between the Spanish Steps and the storage shed and 1 in bushes adjacent to the path from the storage shed to Willow Pond), Chaffinch (1 in bushes opposite the storage shed), Dunnock (1 heard singing briefly but unseen in bushes between the Spanish Steps and the storage shed), Moorhen (1 heard calling but unseen on Willow Pond), Cormorant (1 flying high and east over Meadow Pond), Canada Goose (2 flying north over Meadow Pond), Black-headed Gull (1 flying over Meadow Pond)

Cormorant, Canada Goose and Black-headed Gull are all species that I have only seen occasionally so to record all 3 on a single visit so early in the year was unexpected but very welcome.

The sunny, albeit cold, morning also encouraged a lot of bird song, especially numerous, Robins, Great Tits and Blue Tits but also singles of Song Thrush, Wren and Dunnock.

With regard to mammals, I saw 3 Grey Squirrels (2 in the trees between the Spanish Steps and the storage shed and 1 in trees by Puckles Pond).

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

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Wren

Dunnock

Robin

Fieldfare

Redwing

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Chaffinch

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Moorhen

Canada Goose

Cormorant

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel

Here are some photos from my visit:

Photo: Song Thrush

Photo: Robin

Photo: Robin

Photo: Blue Tit

Photo: Blue Tit

Photo: Blue Tit

Photo: Blue Tit

Site totals for 2023 to date (2022 totals in brackets):

Birds = 21  (30)

Mammals = 1 (2)

Butterflies = 0  (15)  

Dragonflies and damselflies = 0  (5)

Reptiles = 0  (2)

Amphibians = 0  (2)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 45

Mammals = 3

Butterflies = 21

Dragonflies and damselflies = 13

Reptiles = 2

Amphibians = 3

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