Coombe Hill and Ashleworth

Coombe Hill and Ashleworth (21 June 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

The southern scrape has now dried out, and the northern scrape is likely to be dry in a very few days, but there is still water in the Long Pool.

Pair of Mute Swans still with four growing cygnets; the ménage à trois of two Canadas and a White Farmyard Geese are still there with two Canada and one hybrid gosling. Breeding waders: two female Lapwings, each with three tiny chicks by the scrapes, and probably a third out there somewhere; one female Lapwing still incubating on the Long Pool; a female Redshank with at least two small chicks; one female Curlew with a smallish chick in the grass, probably at least two more pairs with young in the long grass round the scrapes. Two Oystercatchers, probably the pair that failed. A Grasshopper Warbler reeling on the southern meadows, a Sedge Warbler carrying food by the canal, a Goldcrest singing by the carpark(!).

Returning waders, failed or finished breeders: two Green Sandpipers, four Redshank (a flock in adult plumage), 19 Lapwings (a flock, all adults, no full grown young). Also three Grey Herons and 1 Little Egret.

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