A very good selection of birds present this Saturday including the following;
Castle Lake - 20 Mute Swan, 6 Shelduck juveniles but no adults, female Shoveler with 8 ducklings, 18 adult & 3 juvenile Great Crested Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebe (present since the 23rd), 2 Cormorant, a male Marsh Harrier hunting the long grass near the south-east corner of the lake, 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 2 Common Tern.
Also a Mink was seen chasing (unsuccessfully) Mallard ducklings in the flooded bowl at the north end.
Stoneybeck Lake- Continuing a trend in recent years of mid-summer sightings, a drake Scaup was present in the company of some Pochard, numerous Tufted Duck, 3 Teal and 4 Little Grebe.
