Having been plunged into darkness by the eclipse, okay not completely I know, but it definitely got darker as we approached 9:30am. As soon as it finished it brightened up considerably. So much so that I just had to get out of the house and have a bit of me time. So it was off to Liden Lagoon and see if there were any new visitors, since my last visit there on 19 Jan. Was it really that long ago since I was here last!
Biggest change was hearing a
Chiffchaff singing from the South Island and a pair of
Gadwall. (Last years pair, who knows!!). The new resident
Swans were courting with the cob offering weed to the pen. However the "old" pen was still present with her two offspring from last year, which I found a bit surprising. If and when the new pen starts nesting, I'm guessing the cob will be less tolerant and see off the old pen and the juveniles. All around the Lagoon were
Robins singing with at least 10 males in good voice.
The drake Gadwall
The new Cob
One of the two juvenile Mute Swans from last year.
One of many male Robins around the Lagoon in good voice.
I arrived for bath time as 50+ large
gulls dropped in to add their weight to the already present 100+
Black-headed Gulls. In amongst the 50
Herring Gulls and 8 or so
Lesser Black-backed Gulls was a single 2nd summer
Common Gull. The
Herring Gulls were mainly made up with 1st winters and 2nd winters, with only about 15 adults.
50+ Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls of all ages.
2nd summer Common Gull
Other birds of interest were a single
Jay in the woods to the north of the Lagoon and a
Great Crested Grebe. Though I didn't see a second Grebe, I'm assuming she was on the nest, that she built last year just above the South Island. However this year it is considerably higher, by at least 9" and it was difficult to see into it.
The only invertebrate I came across were a few
midges sp. and the remains of a
snail sp. which had been abandoned by a Song Thrush. Also about quite a few
Coltsfoot (
tussilago farfara) in flower and two species of
Daffodil.
A few pieces of shell broken lay on top of a Song Thrushes anvil.
Unfortunately the Song Thrush must have been disturbed as having got to the meat was unable to eat it. He might come back!
Coltsfoot
Daffodils
Every now and then I had a look into the water, which was gin clear and there were lots of
Swan Mussels and just off one of the anglers pontoons there was a 5lb
Pike "basking" in the sun.
A Pike of around 5lb (often called Jack Pike up to this size)
As I was leaving I took a photo of the trees next to the car park. As you can see all the undergrowth has been cleared and unfortunately for the lagoon Collared Doves, a lot of branches have been removed as well, which as I say is unfortunate because this is where they have nested for the past 4 years.
The undergrowth and branches all cut back for the residents to view the Lagoon from their homes.
Birds Recorded: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Mute Swan (3 adults and 2 juveniles), Canada Geese, Mallard, a pair of Gadwall, 4 Tufted Duck (2 pairs), Moorhen, Coot, 100+ Black-headed Gull, 50 Herring Gull, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, 10+ Robin, Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff singing, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, 1 Jay, 2 Magpie, Carrion Crow, 10 House Sparrow.
Also
A Pike and Swan Mussels.
