Birding Group Visit to Pennington Flashes 28 April 2026
Reports of a Little Gull and some Black-necked Grebes at Pennington encouraged us in our visit there on a – not particularly warm – spring morning. On parking up and getting the scope out, it only took a few minutes to get one of these species and a good year tick.
Clustered together and showing rather well was a group of five Black-necked Grebes. They stayed up and tegether for quite a long time affording us very good scoped views. Also on the water were the usual good numbers of Great-crested Grebes, Tufted Ducks, Canada Geese and Mute Swans with a few Gadwall thrown in for good measure. At Horrocks Hide we had the usual Lapwing, Cormorants, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and big numbers of Black-headed Gulls, some on nests.
We also got a single Snipe (a year tick) on the main scrape and a single Oystercatcher. Over all the main Flash were a mist of Sand Martins, moving too fast to really count. Going round the other bodies of water added Little Grebe to our collection and a single Little Ringed Plover – another year tick. In the reeds were a few Reed Warblers, invisible but singing loudly – the last of our year ticks for the day, making four in total.
Being heard rather than seen was the main feature of the day as the woodland birds were all in fine singing form but remaining steadfastly hidden. Everywhere there were Robins, Blackcaps, Wrens, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers singing. Towards the end of our route around the park, numerous Song Thrushes competed with each other as the loudest and sweetest singer.
At the Bunting Hide, Grey Squirrels ruled the feeders with hardly any food there for birds so the usual suspects of Bullfinch, Woodpecker, Willow Tit etc were nowhere to be seen. One can assume that the feeding will stop entirely as the year progresses leaving it as a Squirrel sanctuary. The changes here are the worst thing that has happened at Pennington in terms of maintaining the site; it’s a shame.
Anyway, a great morning for hearing bird song and very elevating of the spirits. And four good year ticks to add.
Bird Sightings : Pennington Flashes 28 April 2026
| Species | No |
|---|---|
| Black-headed Gull | 100 |
| Black-necked Grebe | 5 |
| Blackbird | 1 |
| Blackcap | 4 |
| Blue Tit | 2 |
| Canada Goose | 40 |
| Carrion Crow | 6 |
| Chiffchaff | 1 |
| Coot | 10 |
| Cormorant | 12 |
| Gadwall | 10 |
| Goldfinch | 1 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 12 |
| Great Tit | 4 |
| Lapwing | 20 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 30 |
| Little Grebe | 1 |
| Little Ringed Plover | 1 |
| Magpie | 2 |
| Mallard | 60 |
| Moorhen | 1 |
| Mute Swan | 14 |
| Oystercatcher | 1 |
| Reed Warbler | 3 |
| Robin | 1 |
| Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon | 2 |
| Sand Martin | 50 |
| Shoveler | 6 |
| Snipe | 1 |
| Song Thrush | 4 |
| Stock Dove | 3 |
| Tufted Duck | 40 |
| Willow Warbler | 2 |
| Woodpigeon | 4 |
| Wren | 5 |