Thornwick Country Park
Bird highlights and species to look out for in 2010
2006
New ponds with lots of soft mud are very attractive to wading birds. When the 2 small ponds in the Country Park were created it was a great place to see waders which included; up to 7 dunlin, green sandpiper, 6 snipe, common sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, lapwing, whimbrel and golden plover.
Locally scarce and rare birds in 2006 included; 1 little egret flying over in August, goldeneye, scaup yellow browed warbler and an immature hobby.
2007-2010
Ducks and water birds started to colonise the new habitats in 2007 and each year there are regular records of with moorhen, coot, teal, mallard, shelduck, tufted duck, wigeon, little grebe, greylag goose and canada goose.
Song birds using the excellent scrub and grassland habitats include; wheatear, redstart, whinchat, tree pipit, common warblers such as sedge warbler and willow warbler, yellow wagtail, brambling and siskin.
Highlights in 2007
A flock of up to 15 corn bunting stayed in the area for the first part of the year
20 wheatear on the CP in early May
26th May; 1 cuckoo.
19th August; 1 greenshank and 2 golden plover
28th August 1; Juvenile red-backed shrike and a barred warbler together in the same bush!
28th October; 1 immature/female pochard
1st November; 1 merlin
Highlights in 2008
16th February; 1 male gadwall.
28th May; 1 icterine warbler
3rd August; 2 pochard
Little grebe probably breeding
28th September; 1 pied flycatcher, 1 grey wagtail over
1st November; 1 bluethroat
Highlights in 2009/10
31st January; 4 snipe, 1 jack snipe
31st March; breeding coot and little grebe
24th May to 27th; male and female tufted duck
Sedge warbler singing in reedbeds throughout summer
3rd August; A family party of stonechat
19th October; 1 jay
January 2010; Up to 2 water rail in the reeds by the small ponds
SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN SPRING 2010
The shrubs and hedges are now growing well and become attractive to many migrant song birds in spring. Look out for wheatears on the ground or on fence posts, stonechats and yellow wagtails all attracted to the wonderful combination of shelter, food and water provided by the grassland and ponds.
The two small ponds become a haven for nesting birds such as moorhen, little grebe and coot. The reeds will become excellent places to see reed bunting, sedge warbler and if you are lucky reed warbler.
Compiled by Neil Parker and Richard Baines Feb 2010