Croxley Common Moor

I made a late afternoon visit to Croxley Common Moor with Steve Carter where a male Common Redstart had been discovered by Geoff Lapworth. Other species of note included Lesser Whitethroat (1), Common Whitethroat (3), Common Cuckoo (1), Barn swallow (2).

                                                                  Redstart (male).

                                                               Large Puffball.

Viginia Water, Surrey

A complete circuit of the lake in sunny, cool conditions provided the following species:-
Great-crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mandarin (5 inc 4 drake), Common Buzzard (1), Common Pheasant, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Feral Rock Dove, Stock Dove (pair), Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Wren, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Common Magpie, Eurasian Nuthatch, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch. 

                                                                  Mandarin (drake).

                                                                 Western Jackdaw.

                                                            Bog Arum (White variant).

27-04-13 Stockers Farm & Stockers Lake

A mid-afternoon visit in unsettled conditions provided the following species of note:-
Stockers Farm;
Egyptian Goose (pair), Common Tern (2 over), Black Tern (1 over briefly), Barn Swallow (3), Northern Wheatear (2 on flooded field).
Stockers Lake:-
Little Egret (adult at nest), Common Buzzard (1), Red Kite (1), Common Tern (9), Black Tern (1),
Cetti's Warbler (singing male), Sedge Warbler (3 singing male), Reed Warbler (4 singing male),
Barn Swallow (2), House Martin (10).  

Maple Lodge Nature Reserve & Lynsters Farm

A late afternoon visit produced the following species of note:-
Maple Lodge
Little Grebe (4), Great-crested Grebe (1 from shell hide), Common Teal (3), Gadwall (4), Mallard (duck with brood of young), Common Buzzard (1 mobbed by resident pair of Carrion Crow), Common Chiffchaff (1), Blackcap (3).
Lynsters Farm
Greylag Goose (20), Canada Goose (24), Egyptian Goose (11), Stock Dove (4).

                                                      Grey Heron from Rotunda Hide.

                                                        Gadwall (male) from Shell Hide.

                                                   Gadwall (female) from Shell Hide.



   

Woodoaks Farm

A morning visit in sunny mild conditions with my daughter Emily provided the following species:-
Common Buzzard (2), Stock Dove (1), Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker (1), Eurasian Skylark (singing male), Wren (singing male), Dunnock (singing male), European Robin (adult with food), Common Blackbird (male with food), Song Thrush (2 singing male), Lesser Whitethroat (singing male), Blackcap (9 including displaying pair), Common Chiffchaff (5 singing male), Willow Warbler (2 singing male), Goldcrest (displaying pair), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay (1), Common Magpie (4), Western Jackdaw (3 pairs nest building), Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch (female with nest material), European Greenfinch (singing male).
Mammals:-
Muntjack
Butterflies:- 
Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock.

                                                             Lesser Whitethroat.

                                                              Common Chiffchaff.

    

 

Stockers Farm & Stockers Lake

A brief early evening visit produced the following species of note:-
Stockers Farm
Egyptian Goose (pair on flooded field), Common Sandpiper (on flooded field), Barn Swallow (4), House Martin (2), Ring-necked Parakeet (4 over), Little Owl (1).

                                               Egyptian Goose (pair) at Stockers Farm.

                                                          Mallard (drake) at Stockers Farm.
 Stockers Lake
Little Egret (1), Common Buzzard (4 over causeway), Cetti's Warbler (singing male on causeway), Eurasian Nuthatch (singing male).

Broadwater Gravel Pit

An afternoon visit in sunny, mild conditions provided the following species:-
Great-crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye (4 female), Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Pheasant, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Ring-necked Parakeet, Eurasian Cuckoo (singing male), Common Kingfisher (1), Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Sedge Warbler (singing male), Common Whitethroat (singing male), Blackcap (13 singing male), Common Chiffchaff (6 singing male), Goldcrest (3 singing male), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay, Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Chaffinch.
Mammals:-
Rabbit, Common Pipistrelle (feeding above lake).
Butterflies:-
Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone.