Every week 2 members from the WVBS take a walk around Pensthorpe Natural Park and record every species that they have seen / heard and how many they have seen. This is submitted into our recorder, David Gibbons, and he collates all the data and sends it on to the County Recorder.
Below are the results from the recent monitoring visits, including a short summary from members.
Below are the results from the recent monitoring visits, including a short summary from members.
Sunday 10th July
55 species recorded today; highlights were:
Warblers: 5 Blackcap, 4 Chifchaff, 2 Reed Warbler & 1 Whitethroat.
Raptors; 1 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
Green Sandpiper still around 2 noted today.
Herons & Egrets; 1 little Egret, 1 Great White & 3 Grey Heron.
Geese still in large numbers & with young, as were Coot, Moorhen & Ducks.
Swallows, Swifts & Sand Martins recorded as were the usual range of Tits.
Common Tern numbered 13 & 30 Lapwing seen.
Other wildlife seen;
Grey Squirrel 1
Brown Hawker 3, Norfolk Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle & Emperor
Dragonfly.
Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small White, Large White, Small Skipper
& Peacock.
Tuesday 12th July.
Lots of Geese today with 117 Barnacle, 97 Greylag & 54 Egyptian all with young.
Large number of Mallard again numbering 117.
Warblers; 4 Chiffchaff, 6 Reed, 6 Blackcap 7 1 Whitethroat.
Always nice to see Avocet, 5 today 3 adults with 2 young.
All the threes; 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker & 3 Green Woodpecker.
Lots of raptors showing; 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Red Kite & 5 Buzzard.
Pretty good on the Heron & Egret front with 8 Grey Heron, 4 Great White Egret &
10 Little Egret.
Still large numbers of Black-headed Gull, 320 was the count.
10 Common Tern noted.
Finally, 5 species of Tit & Swallow, Swift & Sand Martin seen.
70 species in total.
Grey Squirrel 1, Reeve’s Muntjac 1.
Small Skipper 2+, Large Skipper 1, Large White 2, Small White 1, Green-veined
White 1, Speckled Wood 3, Ringlet 2, Meadow Brown 25, Gatekeeper 10, Red Admiral 2,
Peacock 6 & Small Tortoiseshell 1.
2 Brown Hawker, 1 Norfolk Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, 8 Banded Demoiselle, 6
Emperor Dragonfly, 5 Common Blue Damselfly, 2 Red-eyed Damselfly & 8 Black-
tailed Skimmer.
A couple of Moths noted, 2 Cinnabar & 1 Common Footman.
Thursday 21st July
Stiff northerly breeze and cloudy, becoming bright later.
Being dull with few on the wing it was a struggle to find many insects.
To see a Tufted Duck with only a single young was unusual, but it soon became clear that a
Herring Gull was attempting to catch dinner. Quickly joined by other adults to ward off the
Herring Gull which appeared to be unlucky at this attempt.
Good to see 5 Common Tern chicks on the rock island on Old Squaw Lake.
Still large numbers of geese, 185 Greylag, 122 Barnacle & 34 Egyptian many with young.
Likewise, 17 Moorhen & 117 Coot also with young.
Raptors today 1 Red Kite, 2 Marsh Harrier & 2 Buzzard.
Warblers: 2 Cetti’s, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Reed & 1 Garden.
6 Grey Heron & 8 Little Egret, 2 Great Spotted & 2 Green Woodpeckers noted.
Other species of note included 10 Stock Dove, 3 Green Sandpiper, 4 Great Crested Grebe 7
& 19 Common Tern with some of their young as in the photo above.
54 species.
55 species recorded today; highlights were:
Warblers: 5 Blackcap, 4 Chifchaff, 2 Reed Warbler & 1 Whitethroat.
Raptors; 1 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard & 3 Red Kite.
Green Sandpiper still around 2 noted today.
Herons & Egrets; 1 little Egret, 1 Great White & 3 Grey Heron.
Geese still in large numbers & with young, as were Coot, Moorhen & Ducks.
Swallows, Swifts & Sand Martins recorded as were the usual range of Tits.
Common Tern numbered 13 & 30 Lapwing seen.
Other wildlife seen;
Grey Squirrel 1
Brown Hawker 3, Norfolk Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle & Emperor
Dragonfly.
Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small White, Large White, Small Skipper
& Peacock.
Tuesday 12th July.
Lots of Geese today with 117 Barnacle, 97 Greylag & 54 Egyptian all with young.
Large number of Mallard again numbering 117.
Warblers; 4 Chiffchaff, 6 Reed, 6 Blackcap 7 1 Whitethroat.
Always nice to see Avocet, 5 today 3 adults with 2 young.
All the threes; 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker & 3 Green Woodpecker.
Lots of raptors showing; 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Red Kite & 5 Buzzard.
Pretty good on the Heron & Egret front with 8 Grey Heron, 4 Great White Egret &
10 Little Egret.
Still large numbers of Black-headed Gull, 320 was the count.
10 Common Tern noted.
Finally, 5 species of Tit & Swallow, Swift & Sand Martin seen.
70 species in total.
Grey Squirrel 1, Reeve’s Muntjac 1.
Small Skipper 2+, Large Skipper 1, Large White 2, Small White 1, Green-veined
White 1, Speckled Wood 3, Ringlet 2, Meadow Brown 25, Gatekeeper 10, Red Admiral 2,
Peacock 6 & Small Tortoiseshell 1.
2 Brown Hawker, 1 Norfolk Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, 8 Banded Demoiselle, 6
Emperor Dragonfly, 5 Common Blue Damselfly, 2 Red-eyed Damselfly & 8 Black-
tailed Skimmer.
A couple of Moths noted, 2 Cinnabar & 1 Common Footman.
Thursday 21st July
Stiff northerly breeze and cloudy, becoming bright later.
Being dull with few on the wing it was a struggle to find many insects.
To see a Tufted Duck with only a single young was unusual, but it soon became clear that a
Herring Gull was attempting to catch dinner. Quickly joined by other adults to ward off the
Herring Gull which appeared to be unlucky at this attempt.
Good to see 5 Common Tern chicks on the rock island on Old Squaw Lake.
Still large numbers of geese, 185 Greylag, 122 Barnacle & 34 Egyptian many with young.
Likewise, 17 Moorhen & 117 Coot also with young.
Raptors today 1 Red Kite, 2 Marsh Harrier & 2 Buzzard.
Warblers: 2 Cetti’s, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Reed & 1 Garden.
6 Grey Heron & 8 Little Egret, 2 Great Spotted & 2 Green Woodpeckers noted.
Other species of note included 10 Stock Dove, 3 Green Sandpiper, 4 Great Crested Grebe 7
& 19 Common Tern with some of their young as in the photo above.
54 species.
