Avocet increase and first Sand Martins
Avocets
Two high counts over the last couple of days, 42 yesterday (combining counts from South Lake and TNP) and 41 together on the Top New Piece flood today. Pairs have formed and we've noted increased interest in the islands as they fuss over favoured spots.
Sand Martins!
Our first 2018 sighting, a party of four flew North over the Top New Piece and carried on their way.
Rushy Hide and Peng Observatory
87 Pochard (112 late afternoon yesterday), 4 Wigeon and 49 Pintail present this morning with a pair of Oystercatcher and a few Snipe on the flooded field.
Tack Piece
Still very busy and very much flooded. 4 Ruff, 110 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Curlew, 800 Wigeon, 200 Teal, 40 Redshank, 60 Dunlin, 37 Pochard and 40 Pintail. A female Marsh Harrier was seen distantly from Robbie Garnett Hide as it hunted the fields to the North.
Holden Tower
60 Golden Plover early morning increasing to 140 by mid afternoon, 200+ Dunlin, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Ringed Plover, 40 Starling, 50 Lapwing and 180+ Barnacle Geese. A pair of Little Grebe were on the adjacent pond with 40 Wigeon and 20 Tufted Duck, a male Reed Bunting was in the hedge.
The Red-breasted Goose was among the distant E. White-fronted Geese (70+) in the Ox Piece.
Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece
127 Snipe were in the cut rush areas on the shore of the flood, 50 Dunlin, 10 Golden Plover, 12 Lapwing and 230 Wigeon, 21 Pochard and 70 Teal.
