Birds seen at Moor Green Lakes
during NOVEMBER 2009

November was relatively mild with a couple of cold spells and 23 wet days amounting to six inches of rain in the month.

Up to 26 Cormorants present in the Grove Island roost. One is a bird ringed as a chick at Abberton Reservoir, in Essex, on the 26th April this year. More than 40 Mute Swans on site, including one ringed at Hurley, in Berkshire, on the 5th March 1999 as an immature bird (hatched in 1998). Up to two Little Egrets are now appearing daily.

Waterfowl counts on the 20th: 15 Great Crested Grebe, 25 Greylag Geese, 106 Egyptian Geese, 181 Canada Geese, 121 Wigeon, 43 Gadwall, 24 Teal, 95 Mallard, 22 Shoveler, 30 Pochard, 216 Tufted Ducks, one male Goldeneye, seven Goosander, 34 Moorhen and 295 Coot. Also, good numbers of Mandarin Ducks with 15 on the 15th. There are still 17 Barnacle Geese remaining in the area. By the 27th the Goosander roost contained eight male and three red-heads.

Kestrels, Sparrowhawks and Buzzards are to be seen regularly. At least one Barn Owl present on Manor Farm and Little Owls around the paddock by the car park and elsewhere. 

Common Snipe seen throughout the month. I’m not aware of any reports of Water Rail, but probably a few present. Lapwing numbers seem to have reduced from the 175 at the beginning of the month. The first Golden Plover of the year was seen on 11th, along with a Dunlin.  Up to two Green Sandpipers were resident all month. 

Over 600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the evening roost on the 15th with 30 Herring and a Yellow-legged Gull. Black-headed and Common Gulls seem to roost elsewhere, but respective counts of 122 and 25 were present on the afternoon of the 25th.

Thrush numbers increased throughout the month with up to 100 Fieldfares, 30 Redwings; and increased numbers of Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrushes and Blackbirds. There are loads of berries this year. The Linnet flock has reached 25 and Siskin and Lesser Redpoll numbers increased through the month with flocks approaching 50 birds feeding on the Birch and Alder seeds. 

The bird feeders are attracting good number of Blue Tits and Great Tits, and a Coal Tit on the 21st – a site rarity. Chaffinches and Greenfinches are also common on the feeders, with occasional Goldfinches and Reed Buntings. And, apparently, Roe Deer are using the feeder at night!

My unofficial count of species recorded so far in 2009 is 136, including the escaped Snow and Barnacle Geese.

 As always, please report your own sightings on the record sheets in Colebrook Hide.

Report compiled by Bruce Archer

This Summary is also available on  www.mglg.org.uk

November 2008 sightings  >>>

November 2007 sightings  >>>