Pages

Wednesday 12 June 2013

An Evening at Stanton Park

Having been forced to stop fishing last week because of the Willow tree seeds, I decided to give the lake another go on Tuesday evening. And I wasn't to be disappointed, as I not only caught a huge Tench of 6lb but also caught a massive Bream of 9lb, smashing my personal best by almost 3lb.

6lb Tench

A personal best - 9lb Bream

The Robins have youngsters and this adult had a lot of freebies of me. They weren't the only youngsters around the lake. The Mute Swans are doing well with their six cygnets and the 4 ducklings have doubled in size since I was here last. Not only that, but the two black-backed hybrids now have white fronts.

Robin

Family outing

The 4 ducklings and mum

On the lakeside apart from the Robins, a juvenile Nuthatch was calling continuously from the trees behind me and two juvenile Green Woodpeckers were also active, flying back and forth across the lake.

Warblers noted were 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Reed Warblers which were chasing each other (2 males?), a Garden Warbler and 3 Blackcaps.

As the sun started to set then masses of Caddisfly emerged. This in turn brought in the hirundines with up to a dozen or so Swallows and House Martins. As the sun disappeared behind the trees 3 Swifts joined in.

Hazy sunset

Caddisfly

A Caddisfly

All in all 34 birds were recorded from 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Mute Swan, 11 Mallard plus 4 juveniles, MoorhenCootLesser Black-backed GullWoodpigeonCollared DoveGreat Spotted WoodpeckerGreen WoodpeckerSwallowHouse MartinDunnockRobinBlackbirdSong ThrushMistle Thrush, 2 Reed WarblerBlackcapGarden Warbler, 2 ChiffchaffGoldcrestMarsh TitGreat TitBlue TitLong-tailed TitNuthatchTreecreeperWrenJackdawRookCarrion CrowChaffinchGoldfinch and Greenfinch.