June Sightings

Sightings can be Emailed to:

      Martyn Wilson - martynwilson@talktalk.net

  Brendan Ryan -  brendan.ryan@yahoo.co.uk

  Marc Heath - Heathym007@aol.com   

Stodmarsh NNr latest news here

Grove Ferry river trips visit here.

26th June

Apologies for the lack of postings from me of late but I have been busy trying to write a dissertation for university. Only 3 weeks to go so hopefully I will be back out soon to catch up. I made an hour visit to Grove this afternoon at 4.30pm in warm pleasant sunshine. I walked the Grove circuit noting 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Tufted Duck, 4 Marsh Harrier, 89 Lapwing, 3 Whitethroat, 5 Little Egret, 2 Skylark, 1 Great crested Grebe, 2 families of Mute Swans, one with 5 large young and the other 6. Other bits seen were 2 Black Swan at Harrisons, 3 Blackcap, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Willow Warbler, 11 Mallard, 2 Gadwall, 1 Cuckoo and the odd House and Sand Martin around the reserve. Butterflies were quite numerous with 6 Small Tortoiseshell seen, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Heath, 1 'White' and 1 Red Admiral.

(Marc Heath)

15th June

Having spent the last few weeks stuck in doing uni work, I managed an hour or so at Grove Ferry this aftenoon in a stiff NE'ly wind. I only watched from the ramp noting 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Turtle Dove, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Little Egret, c65 Mallard in various plumages on the main pool, 3 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan with 5 growing cygnets, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Common Tern, 4 Greylag Geese, 1 Bearded Tit and good numbers of Swift and Sand Martin buzzing around the reserve.

(Marc Heath)

11th June

Of note today a single Green Sandpiper and a single eclispe Garganey on the riverside water meadows between Stodmarsh and Grove.

(Jim Bloor)

5th June

For some reason, I was on the ramp at Grove this morning at 4.30am, just me and the mist again. Luckily out of this strolled Martyn and Mark C. We spent a few hours on the ramp noting 3 Grey Heron, 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Jay, 1 Redshank, 8 Tufted Duck, 7 Little Egret, 3 Shelduck, 1 Hobby, 1 Nightingale and c70 Black tailed Godwit circled the pools before flying off. New for the year was an Oystercatcher that flew over the Green hide calling and spent the next 5 minutes circling the pools before also flying off to the east. I left for Wickhambreux and Martyn and Mark had a stroll. I met up again with Martyn later on at Wickhambreux we we had good views of Spotted Flycatchers. I then made a brief visit to Collards on my way home noting 25+ Hobby, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kestrel, 3 Common Tern and a few Great crested Grebe on the main lake.

(Marc Heath)

3rd June

I arrived at Grove Ferry this morning just after 4.30am, the reserve looking like someone had dropped 50ft of mist over the area. The sun soon shone through to a lovely morning with clear skies. I only walked down to the water meadows and a good look around Grove. Birds noted this morning were 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Cuckoo, 3 Turtle Dove, 9 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Nightingale, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Marsh Harrier, c30 Swift, 4 Swallow, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Jay, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Grey Heron, 2 Garganey on the water meadows and 4 Little Egret. There were 16 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 1 Treecreeper along the river, 2 Redshank, 3 Common Tern, 3 Skylark, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Garden Warbler, 3 Shelduck, c6 Bearded Tit, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Kestrel, 1 Corn Bunting east, 2 families of Mute Swans, Reed and Sedge Warblers busy feeding young and a good number of Long tailed, Blue and Great Tits noted.

(Marc Heath)

1st June

I made an effort to get over to the valley this morning, arriving just after 4.30am in windless conditions but a mist over the reserve. A brief drive around the back of Grove produced 1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler near the boathouse. After parking up I walked the whole circuit from Grove to Stodmarsh noting the following. 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 12 Whitethroat, 21 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Marsh Harrier, 5 Cuckoo including the Hepatic female, 4 Water Rail, 4 Nightingale, 1 Turtle Dove, 4 Greylag Geese, 3 Little Egret, 6 Garganey, 3 Tufted Duck and 12 Common Tern. There were 7 Lapwing, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Bullfinch, 4 Shoveler, 7 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 7 Great crested Grebe, 4 Jay, 3 Black headed Gull, 2 Garden Warbler, 4 Green Woodpecker, 3 Shelduck, 1 Hobby, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Redshank, 2 Pochard, 3 Skylark, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Swallow, 2 Swift and 2 Bearded Tit. A brief look at Collards at lunchtime produced 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby, 12 Greylag Geese, 1 Bittern Booming, 3 Common Tern and 1 Grey Heron.

(Marc Heath)