Back to work this week so it has been back to weekend birding and 'nocmig' recording when the weather allows. Recording throughout the night over the past couple of nights have produced 2 Tawny Owl, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Coot and 1 Bittern calling as it flew over Nethergong early this morning at 01:45. 

Bittern

A bit of a catch up over the past week. Highlights on the 26th August included 9 Egyptian Geese still, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Coot, 8 Mediterranean Gull in a newly ploughed field, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hobby, 2 Raven, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Whinchat, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Bullfinch. The 29th produced 3 Pochard, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Coot, 2 Common Tern, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Barn Owl, 6 Raven moving slowly west along the pylons, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 8 Goldfinch and 1 Reed Bunting. A visit Sunday morning produced 9 Egyptian Geese, 6 Pochard, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Cattle Egret flew west over the cattle fields, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Jay, 9 Swallow, 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 1 singing Firecrest, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Bullfinch and 12 Goldfinch. 

6 Pochard

Green Sandpiper

I was out at 05:15 where as I drove over to Nethergong, 1 Little Owl was seen on top of a post. After parking up to collect my recorder from the night before, 1 Barn Owl was seen quartering the fields. I then spent just over 2 hours walking around mostly the Nethergong end where I noted 1+ Greylag Goose heard from the Stour Valley, 9 Mute Swan, 9 Egyptian Geese, you wait 10 years for a Pochard to turn up and today there were 4 Pochard. There were 7 Tufted Duck, 5 Pheasant, 12 Moorhen, 1 Coot, 12 Black headed Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 19 Herring Gull, 2 Little Grebe, 7 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker and 2 Green Woodpecker. Also seen were 2 Hobby, 1 Kestrel, 2 Jay, 1 Raven, 22 Jackdaw, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Reed Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 7 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Chaffinch, 3 Goldfinch and 2 Reed Bunting. Nocmig recording in the area last night only produced a Barn Owl calling. 

3 of the 4 Pochard