Sightings at Sparham Pools (21st May 2017)

I arrived at 8.00am to find that the weather was surprisingly warm and with such a little amount of cloud cover the temperatures remained constant at around 17-18°C.

It was well worth the visit because at 8.30am I had an excellent view of a pair of Cuckoo who continued to call to one another as they flew across the water and then headed in a westerly direction, towards Lyng. They continued to call throughout the morning but this was my only sighting. 

However, the best was yet to come because at around 8.40am, I witnessed a pair of Cranes as they flew across the field on the northern edge of the reserve. The pair continued to call quite loudly as they too flew in a westward direction, towards the River Wensum.

The following were seen between 8.00am and 10.30am:

Blackbird x 5

Long-tailed Tit x 3

Blue Tit x 6

Canada Goose x 3

Tufted Duck x 3

Black-headed Gull x 93 - Similar numbers to those that were counted during the previous WeBS count on the 14th May.

Coot x 9

Great Crested Grebe x 3

Cuckoo x 2 - As mentioned previously, a pair were seen calling to one another then headed west.

Common Tern x 2 - The pair remained on the island, alongside the gulls, throughout most of the morning.

Reed Warbler x 2 - Several were heard throughout the morning, with several Sedge Warblers, but these were the only the pair that were seen.

Crane x 2 - They were calling loudly as they flew across the field on the northern edge of the reserve.

Kestrel x 1

Cormorant x 1

Mute Swan x 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1

Great Tit x 2

Mallard x 3

Swift x 7

The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS)

What is The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS)?
The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) monitors waterbirds in the UK. The project is managed by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and has been going since its inception in 1947.

The principal aims of WeBS are to identify the size of waterbird populations, determine trends in their distribution, and assess the importance of individual sites for waterbirds. This is in line with the UK's Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

Species trends, peak counts and site summary data are accessible to all online, via the WeBS Annual Report.

Sparham Pools
The Sparham Pools reserve, which is leased to and maintained by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT), is located near the villages of Lyng and Sparham. The reserve is a series of former gravel pits, that have now been flooded to form deep and shallow pools with islands.

It is popular with birdwatchers as it attracts a number of waders and waterfowl. Notable sightings in recent months have included Osprey, Black Tern and Great Grey Strike. It is now a favoured site for Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls, who breed on the small/artificial islands.

Map of Sparham Pools

Waterbird Populations at Sparham Pools in 2018
The following is a breakdown of species seen at Sparham Pools since 18th Feb 2018.

	18th Feb	15th Apr	20th May
Black-headed Gull	2	107	35
Coot	8	2	1
Cormorant	1	1	1
Egyptian Goose	0	0	5
Gadwall	11	2	2
Great Crested Grebe	0	1	3
Grey Heron	0	0	1
Greylag Goose	0	1	9
Mallard	2	0	0
Moorhen	1	0	2
Mute Swan	1	1	2
Oystercatcher	2	0	0
Reed Warbler	0	0	2
Shoveler	4	1	0
Tufted Duck	8	3	0
Wigeon	0	1	0
Total	40	120	63

Waterbird Populations at Sparham Pools in 2017
The following is a breakdown of species seen at Sparham Pools since 14th May 2017.

	14/05	21/05	11/06	22/07	12/09	08/10
Black-headed Gull	96	93	37	19	59	72
Canada Goose	2	8	0	0	0	0
Common Tern	3	2	4	0	0	0
Coot	4	9	3	10	11	9
Gadwall	2	0	0	0	11	13
Great Crested Grebe	1	3	2	0	1	0
Greater Black-backed Gull	0	0	0	1	0	0
Greylag Goose	1	0	0	0	0	0
Kingfisher	0	0	0	0	0	1
Lesser Black-backed Gull	0	0	1	0	0	0
Mallard	7	3	6	20	12	6
Moorhen	0	0	0	1	3	4
Mute Swan	1	1	0	0	3	3
Oystercatcher	0	0	1	0	0	0
Reed Warbler	0	2	0	0	0	0
Tufted Duck	4	3	2	0	0	0
Wigeon	0	0	0	0	3	0
Total	121	124	56	51	103	108