A few more White-fronts
Rushy Hide
Further increases in the duck numbers as we begin to feed the lake to settle the birds in for the winter. 38 Pintail, 11 Pochard (5 drakes), c45 Tufted Duck and 45 Shelduck on the lake. A flock of 16 Ruff were roosting on the lower ponds island but flew off. Single Redshank and a few Lapwing were about the ponds. A Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes at the back and a Kingfisher was seen about the Swan Pipe and Duckery at the N end.
Tack Piece
Rather quiet at the Martin Smith hide as it bore the brunt of the cold N wind, on the scrape a party of 340 Wigeon, c240 Teal, single Pintail and a few Shoveler fed or sheltered from the wind. On the field a couple Curlew perhaps heralded the winter build up of this species. Now the field has been cut/topped it should be attractive to many species as we attempt to catch rain events and bring the levels up.
A further three adult E. White-fronted Geese arrived this morning and noisily joined the three (adult and two juveniles) that already reside. They were all fairly mobile but kept returning to the Tack Piece.
Holden Tower
A flock of c45 Great Black-backed Gulls roosted over high tide, a Peregrine was charging about and up to 15 Cranes gathered, at least two un-ringed adults joined the Crane project birds.
South Lake
Single Avocet, 140+ Lapwing, 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Redshank, 3 Ruff, c45 Shoveler, 11 Pochard (8 drakes), Great Crested Grebe and 70 Teal were also present.
Top New Piece/Zeiss Hide
Cetti's Warbler heard, c80 flighty Golden Plover, c200 Lapwing, 100 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 20 Pintail, 45 Wigeon and a whopping count of 590 Canada Geese.
