6th – Pair of Mute Swan with 5 Cygnets and a Canada Goose with 5 Goslings seen on Mercia Marina Pond. Mute Swan on a nest near the Nadee but no sign of any Cygnets yet.
11th – Seen or heard on our Dawn Chorus walk around the canal circuit this morning:
Blackbird, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, House Sparrow, Song Thrush, Magpie, Wren, Robin, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Willow Warbler, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Common Whitethroat, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Cormorant, Blackcap, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Moorhen, Heron, Lapwing, Black Headed Gull, Bullfinch, Mallard, Blue Tit, Mute Swan, Garden Warbler, Jackdaw and Swallow
April 2019
3rd – 1 Little Grebe, 3 Tufted Duck and 1 male Reed Bunting collecting nesting material seen at Mercia Marina Pond, 1 Grey Heron seen flying South over the pond. 1 Blackcap singing near Watson’s Bridge, pair of Long-Tailed Tit seen nest building canalside E of Nadee, 1 Jay seen flying over Stanhope Wood, pair of Bullfinch seen near Hicklin’s Bridge and 1 male Yellowhammer singing North of Hicklin’s Bridge
7th – Treecreeper seen at the Ballast Hole Pond
8th – Pair of Grey Wagtail, 1 Willow Warbler (first in this area this spring) and a pair of Reed Bunting seen at the treatment works, 1 female Bullfinch seen east of the treatment works, 1 male Yellowhammer seen adjacent to the railway line east of Stanhope Wood
11th – Hawthorn in flower adjacent to the entrance to Stanhope Hole Conservation Area
14th – 2 Swallows seen on wires by Heath Farm, Heath Lane
15th – 1 female Mallard with 5 ducklings seen on the canal S of the treatment works, 4 Lapwing, 83 Black Headed Gull, 1 Stock Dove and 110 Fieldfare (a late sighting) seen on the freshly cultivated field NE of Hicklin’s Bridge, 2 Swallow seen flying over Heath Farm, 3 Mistle Thrush seen in the horse paddock N of Crow Park Way.
21st – 1 Lesser Whitethroat singing at the top of Cardales Meadow, 1 Jay seen at the bottom of Cote Close
25th – 1 Sparrowhawk seen chasing a Collared Dove at the top of Heath Lane, 1 Common Whitethroat seen gathering nesting material beside the railway line SE of Stanhope Wood
30th – 1 Grey Heron and 8 Stock Dove seen SE of Hicklin’s bridge, 2 Lapwing and 6 Stock Dove seen SW of Hicklin’s Bridge
March 2019
1st – 1 Grey Heron seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 60+ Pied Wagtail seen at the treatment works, 3 Song Thrush heard singing around the canal circuit, 5 Reed Bunting seen at the treatment works
6th – 1 male Reed Bunting singing in Stanhope Wood reed bed, 1 Little Grebe and 8 Tufted Duck seen on Mercia Marina Pond, 2 Lapwing seen flying west over Common Piece Lane, 1 Green Woodpecker heard calling S of Mercia Marina Pond, 25+ Redwing seen at the treatment works, 1 Yellowhammer seen N of Hicklin’s Bridge and a pair of Yellowhammer seen Willington Road opposite the cattery
Tawny owls have been heard calling in the All Saints Churchyard
A Sparrowhawk seen in Cote Close
A possible sighting of a Peregrine Falcon on Common Piece Lane
8th – 2 Stock Doves Cultivated field SW of Common Piece Lane, Chiffchaff A50 embankment near underpass
18th – 3 x Chiffchaff around canal
23rd – Small Tortoiseshell butterfly and Brimstone butterfly Hillside garden
23rd – Male Kestrel Horse paddock N of Crow Park Way, 7 x Chiffchaff around canal, Skylark Over field NE of Hicklin’s Bridge, Yellowhammers (2 pairs) fields E of Lower Heath Lane
29th – Red Kite seen over Aults Close and Hillside playing fields
February 2019
6th – Grey Heron Flying NE over Porter’s Lane, Black Swan Mercia Marina (Non-native species), 5 Tufted Duck on Mercia Marina, Buzzard N. of Willington Road, opposite Cattery Feeding on worms in ploughed field. Male Kestrel N. of Cardale’s Meadow, Stock Dove N. of Willington Road, opposite Cattery, Green Woodpecker South of STW (Heard only), Song Thrush singing at the bottom of Common Piece Lane. 2x Mistle Thrush in the Churchyard. Chiffchaff at Sewage Treatment Works. Male Bullfinch A50 embankment, near underpass. 7 Yellowhammers N. of Hicklin’s Bridge and 3 Reed Bunting at Sewage Treatment Works.
9th – Barn owl seen at 10-45 in the field off Doles Lane and next to the A38.
11th – 3 Skylarks over field NE of Hicklings Bridge. 9 Reed Buntings at the Sewage Treatment Works.
14th – 1 Sparrowhawk seen chasing a blackbird north of Hicklin’s Bridge, 1 Grey Wagtail seen at the treatment works, 40+ Pied Wagtail seen in field adjacent to the treatment works, c10 Fieldfare seen at the cemetery off Common Piece Lane, 30+ Redwing seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 1 Treecreeper seen at the treatment works
25th – 1 Grey Heron seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Chiffchaff heard singing and several Reed Bunting also seen at the treatment works
January 2019
2nd – 1 Mistle Thrush seen eating sultanas on the back lawn of a garden on Aults Close. 2 Water Rail, 40+ Pied Wagtail and 2 Reed Bunting seen at the treatment works. About 30+ Redwing seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 1 Goldcrest seen adjacent to the A50 underpass feeding with Long-tailed tits. 1 Coal Tit seen on the village green feeding with a Tit flock.
7th – 1 Grey Wagtail near sewage treatment works. 5 Fieldfare feeding with a large flock of Redwing in field north of Hiilside. 1 Chiffchaff near Sewage Treatment works. Pair of Goosanders on canal east of Hicklins Bridge ( first sightings for several years).
9th – Pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, near Ballast Hole, 1 Bullfinch, embankment near A50 underpass
15th – On Bakeacre lane, 1 Kestrel; 2 Stock Doves and about 20 Meadow Pipets
21st – Pair of Goosander On canal, S of STW, 60+ Redwing on Cattle field SW of STW Cormorant
30th – Cormorant Over Nadee, flying north, Little Egret flying over the canal near Hicklin’s Bridge flying south, Buzzard Corner of St George’s Playing Field perched in tree. Water Rail, Grey Wagtailand 40+ Pied Wagtail in the Sewage Treatment Works and 30+ in adjacent field. 5 Fieldfare in the Cemetary off Common Piece Lane Feeding with 20+ Redwing, 2 Song Thrush in the Sewage Treatment Works, Treecreeper near Hicklin’s Bridge and 1 male Bullfinch on the A50 embankment, near the underpass.
December 2018
4th – 1 Water Rail seen in the reed bed at the treatment works, 1 Willow Tit seen canal side east of the treatment works (the first sighting in this area for several years), and 1 Fieldfare seen with Redwings and Blackbirds feeding on yew berries in Findern Churchyard
12th – 7 Stock Dove seen in a stubble field at Blakemere Farm on Bakeacre Lane
13th – about 40 Pink Footed Geese seen flying NW over Common Piece Lane, 4 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 male Reed Bunting seen at the treatment works. About 20 Meadow Pipit seen in a stubble field SE of Stanhope Wood, a pair of Yellowhammer seen N of Hicklin’s Bridge
17th – 2 Water Rail and 30+ Pied Wagtail seen at the treatment works
28th – 2 Goldcrest seen at the treatment works
November 2018
3rd – 1 Kingfisher seen to catch and eat a fish Mercia Marina Pond
8th – 1 Goldcrest seen feeding with a flock of Long Tailed tits canal side SE of the treatment works
12th – 1 Water Rail seen preening itself in the central channel of the reed bed at the treatment works. Several Redwing also seen around the treatment works
22nd – 1 Meadow Pipit seen in the reed beds at the treatment works, 1 Song Thrush seen at Mercia Marina Pond, the first sighting since early July, 1 female Bullfinch seen North of the treatment works, the first sighting since May
October 2018
3rd – 1 Grey Wagtail seen feeding with Pied Wagtails in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 1 Peregrine seen perched on the power station cooling towers
8th – 1 Grey Heron seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 1 Black Swan seen at Mercia Marina, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker seen S of the treatment works, 1 Swallow seen flying South over Porter’s Lane, c15 Redwing seen flying West over Common Piece Lane, 1 Jay seen carrying an acorn East of Nadee, 1 Yellowhammer seen near Hicklin’s Bridge
30th – 1 Goldcrest seen with a flock of Long-tailed Tits on Airport Way (top of Porter’s Lane)
September 2018
5th – 1 Little Grebe and a pair of Gadwall seen on Mercia Marina Pond, 1 Kingfisher seen flying NE along the canal S of the Treatment works, 1 Grey Wagtail seen at the treatment works, 1 Chiffchaff seen at the top of Cardales Meadow feeding with a flock of Long-tailed tits
7th – Kingfisher in flight over the canal opposite Mercia Marina
13th – 13 Small Copper butterflies seen in Cardales Meadow
17th – 1 Common Whitethroat seen at the top of Cardales Meadow
20th – 2 Blackcap seen at the treatment works
28th – Small Tortoiseshell butterfly seen on Buddleia Common Piece Lane
August 2018
1st – 3 adult and 1 juvenile Grey Wagtail seen at the treatment works, 1 adult and 4 juvenile Common Whitethroat seen Stanhope Wood reed bed.
9th – 1 Grey Heron seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works, 1 Peregrine seen Willington Power Station cooling towers, 1 Green Woodpecker heard S of Mercia Marina Pond and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker heard between the canal and the white bridge SW of the Nadee
10th – 1 Chiffchaff seen at the bottom of Cote Close Bird Sanctuary
14th – 3 Yellow Wagtail seen in the cattle field SW of the treatment works – the first sighting in Findern for many years, they were feeding with approx. 20 Pied Wagtail
16th – 1 Goldcrest seen feeding with Chiffchaffs and Long Tailed tits near the treatment works, Pair of Yellowhammer seen near Hicklin’s Bridge
20th – 1 Small Copper butterfly seen in Cote Close Bird Sanctuary, the first sighting this year, 1 Painted Lady butterfly, 1 male and 1 female Brown Argus butterfly and 1 male Common Blue butterfly seen in Stanhope Wood reed bed
July 2018
4th – Several Gatekeeper butterflies seen around the circuit, the first sighting of the year in Findern, 2 Essex Skipper butterflies seen N of Stanhope Wood, another first sighting of the year, 1 Brown Hawker dragonfly seen in Cote Close, 1 male Yellowhammer singing N of Hicklin’s Bridge.
19th – Raven heard calling over Hillside garden
23rd – Green woodpecker seen on Priory Way
31st – 2 Green Woodpeckers in back garden Aults Close. Juvenile Sparrowhawk seen in a garden in Hillside
June 2018
1st – 1 Little Grebe, pair of Mute Swan with 6 Cygnets, a pair of Tufted Duck,1 female Coot with 8 very small young, several Banded Demoiselle, hundreds of Common Blue Damselfly (pairing and egg laying), 20-30 Spotted Chaser (some also egg laying) and 2+ Emperor Dragonfly all seen on Mercia Marina Pond, 1 Sparrowhawk seen with a small bird in its talons over Hicklin’s Farm on Heath Lane, 1 female Kestrel seen and the junction of Heath Lane and Findern Lane, 1 Green Woodpecker heard calling south of Mercia Marina Pond.
2nd – 1 Red-eyed Damselfly seen on Mercia Marina Pond
6th – Pair of Linnet seen canal side East of Nadee and 1 Reed Warbler heard singing at the railway pools (between the white bridge and the railway bridge opposite the Marina entrance), 1 Green Woodpecker and a pair of Bullfinch seen in garden Aults Close
9th – 1 Red Kite seen flying SE over Hillside garden
13th baby Badger seen Priory Way
15th – Great Spotted Woodpecker on bird feeder in back garden Aults Close. 1 Grey Heron seen over the canal East of Nadee, 1 male Yellowhammer heard singing North of Hicklin’s Bridge, 1 Meadow Brown butterfly and 1 Ringlet butterfly seen in the damp field West of Hicklin’s Bridge – the first sighting this year for both butterflies
22nd – Hedgehog seen crossing Heath Lane 11 pm
28th – Couple of White Letter Hairstreak butterflies seen by the 2 small elms just past Clovermead on Common Piece Lane. Small Skipper butterfly seen in Cote Close Bird Sanctuary, Emerald Damselfly seen canalside between Hicklin’s Bridge and the railway bridge, female Pheasant seen in Cardales Meadow, dead Mole seen on the steps leading down to the causeway Stanhope Wood wet area
