A break in the weather
We've had a run of wet and windy days recently, but today is a welcome break with the reserve bathed in winter sunshine, even if it is still a little breezy out there
We've had a run of wet and windy days recently, but today is a welcome break with the reserve bathed in winter sunshine - even if it is still a little breezy out there!
Rushy Hide / Peng Observatory
The first-winter drake Greater Scaup was again on the upper pond this afternoon. At least 82 Bewick's Swans were in for this morning's feed, with at least one new arrival amongst them.
Estuary Tower
The high tide roost on the riverbank included 203 Curlew and an Oystercatcher - is this an overwintering bird or an early spring arrival?. We usually see Oystercatcher coming back to the estuary in early February, but with an increasing number of Avocet back on the South Lake and Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush all singing, are the first signs of spring already coming? Out on the Dumbles, and over the Tack Piece a Peregrine was hunting and spooking the thousands of Lapwing and Golden Plover.
A visitor reported a Goshawk flying down river this morning, along with four Kittiwake heading up river. To the north of the reserve a Marsh Harrier was hunting the fields, and a small flock of White-fronted Geese flew in from the north and settled in the Goose Fields, lost to view behind the hedgerow.
Zeiss Hide
One of the Great Crane Project birds, Sedge, was with an unringed bird on the Top New Piece this morning. Other counts included 1350 Teal, 2300 Lapwing, 1400 Dunlin, 170 Wigeon, 53 Shelduck, 39 Pintail, 12 Gadwall and four Shoveler.
Grounds
A wild drake and female Goldeneye were on the Eider Pen this morning
Kingfisher Hide
A small number of Bewick's Swans flew to the Bottom New Piece this morning to graze. Also here were two Cranes
Decoy Hide
Duck this morning included a drake Mandarin, 13 Tufted Duck, five Gadwall, two Shelduck, two Shoveler, and a drake Pochard.
Robbie Garnett Hide
Up to 51 Redshank and 20 Ruff have been counted today along the shoreline amongst several hundred Wigeon, Teal and Pintail. The Redshank also moved over to the Rushy to roost at lunchtime.
South Lake
A good count of 167 Shoveler on the deep lake this morning with Pochard, Tufted Duck and Teal. An ever increasing count of 26 Avocet on the wader scrape could be a herald of spring. Also of note were 701 Black-tailed Godwit, a single Ruff and 13 Dunlin, 181 Lapwing and 14 Common Gull.
