Middleton Lakes.

Even though a trip to Middleton Lakes was on the cards today it didn't look very promising when I got up just before 6:00 a.m. with light drizzle in the air and some angry looking clouds but we decided to risk it and I'm glad we did because it was a fine day if not a bit gloomy. Birds spotted were, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Robin, Wren, Blackcap (male), Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, House Martin, Swallow, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Cormorant, Skylark, Pheasant (Cock), Kestrel, Buzzard, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Great Crested Grebe, Shelduck, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Domestic Goose and the following chicks/juveniles, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Duckling (10). Gosling (10), Coot (1), Cygnet (3), Black Headed Gull (12), Domestic Goose (8) and three Coot on the nest. As always it was nice to see the friendly Robin even though he was feeling a bit camera shy today. I heard a Cuckoo today on several occasions on the woodland trail but unfortunately didn't manage to get a sighting of it. There were plenty of Greylag Goose present with over one hundred in one the framers fields alone let alone the birds on the water, but numbers wise that was nothing compared to the amount of Swift, there was easily more than a thousand swooping above the water and in the air over the lakes, the sky was full of them. It was great to see quite a few Greenfinch juveniles as well with their numbers being decimated in recent years, the more Finches the better I say. There was also some great patches of wild flowers, the sun and the rain has helped them come on leaps and bounds of late, so needless to say there was plenty of bee, butterfly and insect activity going on.