“Sunny” conditions by lunchtime were too nice to ignore, so we headed over to Bosherston Lakes for a change during the afternoon.
It seemed generally quiet, but we noted 7 goosanders (mostly males), 13 coot in the upper eastern arm arm and a couple of teal. Four herons were perched near their usual breeding area, one displaying its splendid plumes – for them, the breeding season has started.
Cormorants were the most obvious birds on and around the lake – not less than 20. Most were silver-headed adults, showing
their subtly colourful breeding plumage. Some looked to be good candidates
for P. carbo sinensis but, with the possibility of hybridisation etc, it was difficult to be
sure. Several settled to roost overnight in their usual tree.
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| Most of the cormorants seen today were adults in full breeding plumage |
Large numbers of woodpigeons were present in the
lakeside trees – easily 100+. We only managed to see a single stock dove this afternoon, but there
were almost certainly others.
We decided to wait to see if any greenfinches would come to their usual roost on the Court-site. Last winter, Chris Orsman noted good numbers going to roost, and we watched them coming to roost in early March. Today we were not disappointed! At least 100 greenfinches arrived and, quite quickly, settled in. Other birds probably roosting in the same dense evergreen shrubs included a dozen (or more) chaffinches, at least 2 goldfinches and a blackcap.
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| Some of the greenfinches that settled briefly in Court-site trees before going to roost |
About half an hour before dusk, two choughs flew over the Court-site from somewhere inland, heading towards Stackpole Head. The angle of their flight-path suggested that they could have been feeding somewhere on Belvidere Hill, which is at least 2.5 -3km inland from their likely coastal roost site. Over the last few years it has become increasingly evident that choughs at Stackpole are more regularly feeding quite well inland from their usual coastal habitat during the winter period.
Just before we left the area at dusk, several hundred
jackdaws were flying in from various directions and preparing to roost in the lakeside
woodland, and about a dozen redwings were also preparing to roost near the Court-site.