Monday November 14th

Alvecote Pools
No sign of the Great White Egret today (Roy Smith).

Middleton RSPB
The Great White Egret was on Jubilee Pools and also as part of WEBS, 700 Golden Plover and 170 Lapwing were counted. A Peregrine was not helping the count (Steve Cawthray).

Further news on the Little Egret roost comes from Steven Pick who saw 7 go in to the Middleton Hall heronry tonight. Presumably the majority of birds remain on Jubilee Wetland. WJ Egmont confirms that any egrets present on Cliffe Pool recently have been flying off towards the heronry to roost.

NOVEMBER WEBS COUNT

Yesterday full counts were made at Coton Lakes, Kingsbury WP, Ladywalk NR and at Shustoke Res. Disturbance was high with various boating activities but birds seemed relatively settled and count accuracy was good. Today the RSPB reserve was counted as well as Dosthill Lake.

Rather than do a list for each site I thought a Valley total would be more meaningful. All the individual counts have been entered on BTO WEBS database and also on BIRDTRACK for the WMBC Report.

The overall number of birds present was a staggering 7,938, with the highlights as follows:

• Greylag Goose  270
• Canada Goose   459
• Great Crested Grebe 96
• Little Grebe  63
• Gadwall  769
• Teal         476
• Shovelor  227
• Wigeon    353
• Mallard    417
• Tufted Duck 1035
• Pochard  164
• Coot       2113
• Moorhen 135
• Lapwing  327
• Golden Plover  700

Some of the key sites are Coton with 1206 Coots and 649 Tufted Duck; the small pits either side of Kingsbury Road held 308 Gadwall, Ladywalk had 228 Teal and RSPB held 870 Golden Plover and Lapwings.

Thanks are due to the RSPB volunteers, Dean Baker, Steve Cawthray & Ben Eaton.