Over-wintering from November 2020 was a Grey Wagtail with coloured rings on its legs. It was traced to a juvenile ringed at Heysham in Lancashire in September 2020. It subsequently moulted to be a male bird which was seen paired and, later, with young on the dam at the Balancing Lake. It was back here in September very sporadically.
In March both Siskins and Lesser Redpolls visited the Alders alongside the paths around the water, a cautious approach often resulting in good views. I do not recall seeing this behaviour in previous years. Perhaps the trees are more mature and have larger cones and seeds to feed on. Siskins were back in December.
A Reed Bunting was heard singing several times after 18 March but did not stay. Last year a pair attempted breeding with unknown results. Not this year.
A Little Egret was photographed on 22 March. I saw one fly over on 21 June with singles visiting on 1 October and on 5 November.
As expected the first warbler arrival was a Chiffchaff on 7 March. The first Blackcap was singing on 23 March and the first Willow Warbler on 30 March. Three or four pairs of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps held breeding territories this year. All the Willow Warblers moved through: it must be almost ten years since this species bred here when the trees at the top end were shorter and more to the liking of this species. No Garden Warblers were heard or seen: they bred here in 2019 at least.
Also on Spring passage this year there were at least three Sedge Warblers, the first on 23 April. Two of these birds stayed several days. A Reed Warbler started singing on 30 April alongside Derwent Drive where one had a territory in 2020. This year it seemed nearby fishermen caused it to move on before it had established a territory.
The first hirundines of the year I noted here were Sand Martins during bad weather on 1 April. The only other Sand Martins I saw here this year were all in the same week. My first Swallows were on the 5 April. No birds nested around the small-holding across the A5 and only passage birds were noted. House Martins seemed to be late arriving: I noted my first on 2 June. Breeding around the estate continues to decline though I did note juveniles overhead on several occasions. 18 seen on 20 August was my largest count with the last heard on 6 September.
Common Sandpiper is the only regular wader species seen here these days. 15 years ago Common Snipe used to roost in some number on the island when it was larger. The first two sandpipers were seen on 20 April with four more Spring passage sightings. Until last year I had never recorded any on return passage when seven flew in on 14 July. I beat that number this year when an astonishing 12 flew in together on 6 July.
I recorded my first Swift here on the very late date of 1 June and numbers remained very low throughout the season with none seen in the distance circling around the St Georges church. None was seen after 3 August,
In contrast to the success of the Tufted Duck all the other water birds had poor or non-existent success. The current pairing of Mute Swans on their second full season together laid eight eggs with seven hatching on 3 May. Three cygnets were lost in the first week – a not unusual situation. Two more were lost by 25 May, the remaining two teaching themselves to fly and are still around at the end of the year – as is the 'spare' bird from 2019.
As in previous years contractors dipped the Canada Geese eggs to stop them hatching: with complete success. Usually a pair of geese lay somewhere unusual and a few goslings appear for the aggressive cob Mute Swan to kill. Puzzlingly a well-grown gosling did appear on 24 June: it transpired that it had been found with a parent somewhere in the estate from where they made their way to the water. It was only seen on three subsequent occasions.
I saw at least 12 different broods of Mallard ducklings but all were lost this year.
Moorhens seem to have had a good breeding season with multiple broods from at least four nest sites. Very many of the early Coot broods were totally lost. Later broods did better.
On 9 June a photo revealed a drake (Greater) Scaup duck. This species is typically found in Winter and more likely in coastal locations. My last here was in Winter 2016 / 2017 when several birds were in the area. I did have a July record at the Balancing Lake many years ago.
Greater Scaup
An Oystercatcher was a typically noisy fly-over on 15 June. I record such fly-bys many years.
Geese numbers peaked in July when both c.150 Canada and c.40 Greylag Geese gathered to go through their post-breeding moult where they drop all their flight feathers and hence are flightless for several weeks. They seem to like the security of the island. Several hybrids appeared at this time: there has been a mixed pair of Canada and Greylag Geese producing a variety of hybrid off-spring for several years.
(Eurasian) Wigeon appeared on three separate occasions in the Autumn: a drake on 30 September; three presumed first winter drakes on 5 November; and another adult drake on 15 November. A good showing from a species I do not see regularly.
In the second winter period the water again attracted good numbers of Goosanders (good, unless you are a fisherman!). This year there was a higher proportion of adult males than I have logged in previous years. They were typically shy of the camera.
Up to four Teal have been present for many weeks though often elusive. This is my first record of this species staying for a prolonged period. A drake Shoveler was a one-day visitor on Christmas Day.
Latterly geese numbers have often been very low. Obviously preventing them breeding will result in numbers declining though they do breed successfully locally (Middle Pool for instance).
Bird species recorded by me in 2021 but not in 2020
Eurasian Wigeon
(Greater) Scaup
Oystercatcher
Common Gull
Peregrine
Sedge Warbler
Bird species recorded by me in 2020 but not in 2021
Green Woodpecker
Hobby
Garden Warbler
Mistle Thrush