News

Saturday 14th June 2025

A Peregrine & Hobby were over Crossland's lake, plus also 4 Eygptian geese,
A Green sandpiper & Egyptian goose were on the Village lake, a Kingfisher seen flying past the 'Bus-stop- hide,
A Cuckoo was by the Far lake, with an adult Mediterranean gull on East Holm,
A Tufted duck family of 7 ducklings was on the Far lake, with 15 Avocet, 2 Little ringed plover, plus 3 & 8 Shelduck duckling on East Holm,
There was an Avocet chick was on the Silt pond,
Butterflies - Comma,
Dragonflies, 4 Spot chaser, Black-tailed skimmer, Broad-bodies chaser, Banded demoiselle, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies,
Bumblebees - Buff-tailed bumblebee
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/14/2025 6:55:38 PM

Friday 13th June 2025

There was a Peregrine over Dryham Ings & a Hobby over the East ridge,
On Village lake, there were 2 Green sandpipers & an Eygptian goose,
At East Holm, there were broods of 3 & 8 Shelduck ducklings, at least 10 Avocet & 2 Little ringed plover chicks,
West Holm had 2 pairs of adult Mediterranean gulls, plus a pair with a juvenile,
An Avocet chick was on the Silt pond, with the 4 Mute swan cygnets on the Island lake,
The Cuckoo was calling by the Far lake
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/13/2025 7:01:01 PM

Thursday 12th June 2025

2 Hobbies & a Peregrine were over Crossland's lake,
The 2 Eygptian geese were on the Village lake, with the Cuckoo again. by the Far lake,
At least 12 Avocet, plus the 2 Little ringed plover chicks on East Holm,
A well grown juvenile Mediterranean gull was on West Holm,
Dragonflies - 4 Spot chaser by Carp lake, Black-tailed skimmer
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/12/2025 6:59:05 PM

Wednesday 11th June 2025

The 3 Cuckoos were about the Far lake, with a Hobby over & 2 Eygptian geese on the Village lake,
On East Holm, there were 4 Shelduck ducklings, 14 Avocet & 2 Little ringed plover chicks,
2 more Avocet chicks were on West Holm,
Also seen was Little owl, 2 Marsh harriers
Butterflies - Red admiral, Large white, Comma, Brimstone & Meadow brown
Dragonflies - 4 Spot chaser, Black-tailed skimmer & Common blue damselfly
Bumblebees - Early bumblebee
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/11/2025 7:16:32 PM

Tuesday 10th June 2025

A Cuckoo was singing by the Far lake,
The 4 Shelduck ducklings are still on East Holm, with another family of 10 on the Silt pond,
At least 14 Avocet chicks, plus the 2 Little ringed plover chicks were seen on East Holm,
A single Canada goose was on Crossland's lake
Butterflies - Brimstone
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/10/2025 6:45:57 PM

Monday 9th June 2025

4 Cuckoos were present (2males & a female by the Far lake & a male in the 'Oak' avenue),
2 Eygptian geese were on the Village lake, with a Shelduck family of 4 seen on East Holm,
2 Hobbies were over the reserve, with at least 3 Bearded tits seen in Cell 'C', plus the Little owl,
There were 17 Avocet chicks on East Holm , with just one on the Silt pond,
The 2 Little ringed plover chicks are still on East Holm,
Dragonflies - Black-tailed skimmer, Azure, Blue-tailed & Red-eyed damselflies
Butterflies - Large skipper
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/9/2025 7:37:05 PM

Sunday 8th June 2025

2 Cuckoos were singing today (1 by the Far lake & the other in the 'Oak' avenue),
15 Avocet chicks were on East Holm, with at least one Little ringed plover chick there & 3 Oystercatcher chicks as well,
There was a single Avocet chick on the Silt pond,
On Cell 'A', there were single Lapwing & Oystercatcher chicks, plus a pair of Eygptian geese
A Shoveler family of 5 ducklings were on the Carp lake,
3 Oystercatcher chicks were on the Village lake
Also seen was 9 Canada geese were on Crossland's lake, before flying off south & Little owl
Butterflies - Common blue 
Damselflies - 4 Spot chaser, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/8/2025 6:50:56 PM

Saturday 7th June 2025

20 Avocet chicks & the 2 Little ringed plover chicks were on East Holm,
On the Silt pond, there was at least one Avocet chick,
A Hobby was hunting the Sand martins over Crossland's lake,
On the Reed-bed, there was 2 Eygptian & 16 Canada geese, plus a Barn owl in the morning,
Also seen was Little owl
Butterflies - Small tortoiseshell
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/7/2025 6:46:39 PM

Friday 6th June 2025

15 Avocet chicks counted on East Holm, with the 2 Little ringed plover chicks still there as well,
3 Avocet chicks were on the Silt pond, plus 4 Lapwing chicks nearby on Cell 'A'
The Cuckoo was again seen & calling by the Far lake,
An Eygptian goose & Peregrine were at East Holm, Barn owl (evening), plus 12 Canada geese were on Crossland's lake
Bumblebees - Common carder bumblebee
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/6/2025 6:42:21 PM

Thursday 5th June 2025

A male & female Cuckoo were by the Far lake,
A Hobby was hunting Sand martins over Crossland's lake, where there was also an Eygptian goose,
There were 17+ Avocet chicks, with the 2 Little ringed plover chicks on East Holm,
Another pair of Little ringed plovers are sitting, with 4 Lapwing chicks on Cell 'A',
On West Holm, there is a juvenile Mediterranean gull
Posted By: BJNcw2 on 6/5/2025 6:57:10 PM

Wednesday 4th June 2025

14 Avocet chicks & 2 Little ringed plover chicks were on East Holm,
On the Silt pond, were another 3 Avocet chicks, with 3 Lapwing chicks nearby on Cell 'A',
A Sanderling was on East Holm in the evening,
Also seen was calling Cuckoo (Far lake), Marsh harrier, Peregrine & Yellow wagtail
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early & Garden bumblebees
Dragonflies - Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies
Butterflies - Large skipper, Brimstone, Common blue & Small tortoiseshell


Juvenile Whitethroat by the Maize field
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/4/2025 9:44:15 AM

Tuesday 3rd June 2025

The Cuckoo was again calling by the Far lake,
A Hobby was hunting West Holm,
There were 16 Avocet & 2 Little ringed plover chicks on East Holm (with 3 more Avocet chicks on the Silt pond),
3 Eygptian geese were on the Village lake & West Holm,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Red-tailed & Tree bumblebees,
Butterflies - Common blue, Large white,
Dragonflies - hairy dragonfly, Azure, Blue-tailed, Common blue & Large red damselflies


Little ringed plover chick on East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/3/2025 4:12:56 PM

Monday 2nd June 2025

A Grasshopper warbler was 'reeling' at times at the eastern end of the North path,
A Little ringed plover family with 2 chicks was on East Holm, along with a Canada goose & 17 Avocet chicks (another 3 were on the Silt pond),
The Cuckoo was calling by the Far lake, 2 Yellow wagtails, 2 Hobby, Marsh harrier, with Eygptian goose on Cell 'A' & 11 Canada geese on Crossland's lake,
Butterflies - Brimstone, Orange tip
Dragonflies - 4 Spot chaser, hairy dragonfly, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Grasshopper warbler by the North field
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/2/2025 3:06:42 PM

Sunday 1st June 2025

The Cuckoo was calling mainly by the Carp & Far lakes this morning (up to 4 were seen in the evening),
Bearded tits were heard in Cell 'C',
19 Avocet chicks were counted today (including 3 in the New workings), with 3 Oystercatcher chicks visible at the Village lake,
Also seen was a pair of Eygptian geese (Village lake) & Marsh harrier
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early, Garden & Tree bumblebees,
Butterflies - Painted lady, Small tortoiseshell, Large skipper, Common blue & Green-veined whites,
Dragonflies - 4 Spot chaser, Azure, Blue-tailed, Common blue, Large red & Red-eyed damselflies 


Red-banded sand wasp in the New workings
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/1/2025 4:37:56 PM

Saturday 31st May 2025

20 Avocet chicks were counted today (17 on East Holm & 3 on the Silt pond),
10 Canada geese were on Crossland's lake, with 37 seen flying over,
A Barn owl was by the Silt pond in the early morning,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early, Garden & Tree bumblebees,
Butterflies - Peacock, Small tortoiseshell, Common blue & female Orange tips,
Dragonflies - Hairy dragonfly, Azure, Blue-tailed, Small red-eyed & Common blue damselflies


Singing Sedge warbler by the Silt pond
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/31/2025 3:29:44 PM

Friday 30th May 2025

This morning, there was a passage of waders on East Holm, with 2 Sanderlings, 2 Dunlins & 7 Ringed plovers seen,
In the early morning, 4 brief Barnacle geese were also on East Holm, before flying off south west, with 2 then revisiting the Silt pond area in the late morning,
A Grasshopper warbler was heard 'reeling' in the evening, by Crossland's lake,
Also seen was Cuckoo (Far lake), pair of Grey partridge (North field), Little owl, Corn bunting (North hedge), 2 hunting Hobbies, Marsh harrier, Peregrine, Red kite, pair of Eygptian geese & 11 Canada goose (Crossland's lake)
Bumblebees - Common carder bumblebee,
Butterflies - Red admiral, Small tortoiseshell, Orange tip, Painted lady, Large skipper
Dragonflies - 4 Spot chaser, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Avocet sheltering a chick on East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/30/2025 4:21:26 PM

Thursday 29th May 2025

In the early morning there were brief flocks of 10 Dunlins & 7 Ringed plovers on East Holm,
2 Barn owls were seen in the morning (Maize field & Dragonfly ponds), an Eygptian goose on West Holm, Hobby, Peregrine & the Cuckoo calling by the Far lake,
Butterflies - Large skipper
Bumblebees - Common carder
Dragonflies - Blue-tailed damselfly


female Blackcap along Dryham lane
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/29/2025 6:35:38 PM

Wednesday 28th May 2025

A Cuckoo was calling by the Far lake & New workings,
2 Hobbies were displaying to the north of West Holm, Peregrine over the same place, with a Corn bunting singing in the New workings & Barn owl also seen there,
A willow warbler was seen feeding 6 chicks,
17 Avocet chicks were on East Holm, with 4 birds still sitting, another 4 chicks were on the Silt pond,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early & Tree bumblebees,
Butterflies - Large skipper, Small tortoiseshell, Small copper, Green-veined & Large white butterflies
Dragonflies - Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Large skipper on Crossland's lane
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/28/2025 5:32:43 PM

Tuesday 27th May 2025

The Cuckoo was heard by the Far lake in the morning,
On West Holm, the Pochard family is down to 6 ducklings,
The first Shelduck family of the year of 6 ducklings was on Wets Holm,
Again at least 19 Avocet chicks were counted (with 4 of these on the Silt pond), plus the 3 Oystercatcher chicks previously seen on Crossland's lake,
Also seen was Eygptian goose, Garden warbler & juvenile Yellow wagtail (Reed-bed)


Avocet family in the morning twilight
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/27/2025 4:43:32 PM

Monday 26th May 2025

2 Cattle egrets flew south west over the reserve in the morning,
Up to 4 Cuckoos were seen around the reserve, with a juvenile being fed by a Dunnock being seen,
A female Pochard with 8 ducklings was seen on West Holm,
At least 19 Avocet chicks were seen (with 4 of these on the Silt pond),
Also seen was a pair of Eygptian geese (Silt pond), Yellow wagtail, Garden warbler, Corn bunting Little owl, Marsh harrier, Red kite & Hobby over West Holm & 3 Ringed plovers on East Holm in the early morning,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early, Garden & Tree bumblebees,
Butterflies - Orange tip, Wall & Large white
Dragonflies - 4 Spot chaser, Black-tailed skimmer, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Avocet over the Silt pond
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/26/2025 4:25:15 PM

Sunday 25th May 2025

About 20 Arctic terns flew west over the reserve in the late afternoon,
2 Eygptian geese were on the Village lake, with 15 Canada geese on the Main lake,
Also seen was Cuckoo about the Far lake area, Barn owl, Marsh harrier & 2 Yellow wagtails, plus Hobby & Peregrine hunting the reserve.
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/25/2025 6:36:57 PM

Saturday 24th May 2025

The Cuckoo was calling by the Far lake,
At least 16 Avocet chicks were counted (with one family on the Silt pond),
Also seen was a pair of Eygptian geese on the Village lake
Bumblebees - Tree bumblebee,
Dragonflies - Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Grey heron over the Main lake
Posted By: BJNcw on 5/24/2025 4:43:29 PM