New Hythe Lakes

Last week I was lucky enough after a lull of a month to go out walking 4 times and 2 of those specifically for birding. A great time was had on each occasion. Each report will sadly be short but will contain a full sighting list. Unfortunately due to camera problems (mine is currently in Burton-on-Trent) the pictures are substandard, apologies for that. This is the first of 4 reports where I went for a non-birding stroll with Wendy around New Hythe Lakes last Saturday.

 Dipping Pond from the Jetty - Olympus SP590UZ

It was a lovely day and we started off along Ocean Lake where the usual Greylag Geese, Coots, Mute Swans, Mallards and Cormorants could be seen along with a distant Great Crested Grebe. We then headed off to the Dipping Pond which had nothing on it at all except a couple of coots and three Black Headed Gulls. It was so serene that I went for a scenic photo (above) whilst there.

We took the path to the North of the dipping pond and found a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the taller of the trees. There was a lot of bird movement in the reeds and bushes along the path but other than the Blackbirds, very little showed itself. We then continued around Larkfield Lake the bushes of which rewarded us with Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long Tailed Tits in a mixed flock, a Chaffinch and a Dunnock, whilst the water provided Canada Geese, Moorhens, more Gulls than I could count, a Little Grebe, some Gadwall, plenty of Tufted Duck and a solitary Shoveler.

Great Spotted Woodpecker -  Olympus SP590UZ

The scrub was fairly quiet other than the Magpies, but we stood and stared at the grass for a little while and a Green Woodpecker eventually showed itself by taking a short flight before disappearing again into the grass with only its head showing. On Roaden Island Lake was a pair of White Mallards and in the stream to our right was a Wren. We took the long way back around Ocean Lake catching sight of a few Goldfinches and some Collared Doves, Tits were again calling from the trees and several Robins were seen whilst a Great Black Backed Gull flew over. It was a nice long walk, nothing special and only 29 on the list, but we both enjoyed the walk. Not listed above are Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon,and Starlings.

Greylag Goose -  Olympus SP590UZ