Port and Wey: 30 Sep 22

RSPB Radipole Lake

With Benji and Ted having their annual "MOT's" at the vets, I left them to it and had a quick walk around Radipole Lake. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time to walk to the North Hide and back, so I stuck to the Visitors Centre and the Buddleia Loop.

For such a short walk, it was a pretty good return with the birds seen, with 43 species recorded, including my first Wigeon of the year and my first Stonechat of the Autumn here as well.

Birds Recorded:
3 Great Crested Grebe
8 Cormorant
1 Cattle Egret
1 Great White Egret
1 Little Egret
1 Grey Heron
6 Mute Swan
Canada Goose
1 Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
1 Wigeon
Teal
2 Shoveler
Tufted Duck
1 Pochard
Water Rail (heard)
Moorhen
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
House Martin
Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
Blackbird
3 Song Thrush
5 Cetti's Warbler
2 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
6 Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Bullfinch
Species Recorded: 43

An adult Great Crested Grebe keeps its head tucked in from the wind

And another Great Crested Grebe, this time coming into land.

I have seen the Cattle Egret at the North Hide. This is the first one I have seen by the Visitors Centre.

And a Great White Egret also in front of the Visitors Centre. Both the Great White Egret and especially the Cattle Egrets are both fairly new additions to the Radipole bird list.

The Great White Egret again, this time having a "moment" with a Cormorant.

To think that not that long ago Little Egrets were a bit of a rarity to the UK, now they can be found just about anywhere in the British Isles.

A Grey Heron keeping out of the wind, with a drake Mallard for company.

One of the six Mute Swans I came across on the reserve.

This was one of the six Mute Swans which was soon dispatched by the resident birds.

A lone Shelduck

A pair of Gadwall

Here is another drake Gadwall

I'm not going to win any awards for this record shot of a female Wigeon. But it was my first one of the year, which is why I included it on the Blog.

This is a female Shoveler

And my final "duck" photo is of a female Pochard.

Butterflies Recorded:
1 Red Admiral

Bees Recorded:
None

Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Hoverflies Recorded:
None

Plants:
Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)

Sea Aster (Aster tripolium)

Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)