Worcestershire Record No. 18 April 2005 pp. 24-25

KEMERTON CUTTINGS – NOVEMBER 2004 – MARCH 2005

John Clarke

Kemerton Lake Reserve was very quiet for most of the winter but of note:

At times there were up to 22 Mute Swans, five later died – at least three apparently killed by a fox, which also killed a Canada Goose and a Mallard. The coloured ring number was passed to the West Midlands Bird Club with a request for details but there has been no response.

Autumn flocks of Canada Goose peaked at over 600. Culling some appeared to split the flock up into smaller groups, reducing the damage and pollution on the reserve.

47 Tufted Duck and a Water Rail were there on 11th October. A Yellow-legged Gull, a House Martin and five Swallows were recorded on 14th. There were >80 Greylag and a Green Sandpiper on 19th, 12 Shoveler on 21st, 86 Greylag and 70 Teal on 22nd. An Egyptian Goose was seen on 25th. 128 Coot and 41 Tufted Duck were reported on 30th.

In November – 135 Coot, 8 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall and 5 Pintail on 8th. 10 Meadow Pipit seen on 10th, and a Scaup on 12th. three Goosanders were there 22nd .

A Peregrine was hunting there 8th December, 18 Pochard and a single White-fronted Goose reported on 22nd. On 26th there were 22 Shoveler, 160 Wigeon and 4 Ruddy Duck. 140 Wigeon were there 29th. A Black Swan was recorded on 31st.

A Woodcock was seen on 4th January, three Tree Sparrows at feeding trial area 24th, 34 Shoveler were present on 26th and 300 Lapwing and 50 Golden Plover were in a field by lake 28th.

On the 1st February a recorder noted c.700 Lapwing and 100 Golden Plover in the area, 4 Grey Heron were feeding on 2nd, a Red-crested Pochard was reported on 8th. A Ring-necked Duck was found amongst the Tufted Duck on 11th.

On 7th March a Mediterranean Gull was reported, 100 Lapwing were there on 9th, five Curlew displaying on 11th, 11 Curlew on 14th, one Chiffchaff was calling on 19th and two plus a Blackcap on 21st. 7 Redshank and two Oystercatchers on 25th. A Ring-necked Duck was seen again on 26th, five Ruddy Duck were there 28th and the first Sand Martin on 31st.

Fish - more than 4000 roach fry and four Carp sp fry removed from the outlet sluice 9th March.

Flora - two basal rosettes of Broad-leaved Helleborine were discovered on 20 March.

Amphibians - ‘Hundreds’ of frogs and toads were heading for the water on 28 March.

Mammals - a Weasel was seen 29th November, 3 Roe Deer were there 11th February. A Muntjac was seen 20th March. A Polecat was watched hunting on 20 March.

Birds – a flock of 22 Skylark on stubbles November 4th, a flock of 30 Pied Wagtail were on the same field 11th March. Nuthatch were feeding regularly in Kemerton during the winter and early spring. Two Stonechat were at Bredons Norton 8th December. Barn Owl – possibly a pair – found roosting in late winter.

Flora - Himalayan Balsam has appeared along a streamside in Kemerton.

Fungi – a good autumn for grassland species in several sites across the estate. Regular monitoring over the past twenty years had found a few fruiting bodies of one or two species. This year it was estimated that up to 12 species might be present – some in good numbers.

Mammals - Lesser Horseshoe Bat – a dead individual in a house at a new location in Kemerton 29th January.

Molluscs - Great Ramshorn Snail (Planorbus corneus) found at Overbury 4th February.

Reptiles – a Grass Snake was seen swimming in a pond at Kinsham 23rd March.

Brown Trout and Chub were caught in very small stream on the estate 7th October.