Back to being dry
Since the rain a few days ago we're back into a period of dry weather but thankfully many of our pools and scrapes are in a great shape attracting lots of birds. The Curlew Sandpiper from earlier in the week remain, hanging out with the Black-tailed Godwit flock on the wader scrape at the South Lake. The juvenile Wood Sandpiper was also reappeared, back on the Tack Piece outside the Robbie Garnett Hide.
South Lake Hides
The Crane family have been showing well for much of the day and earlier this afternoon our Guide in the Hide, Nigel, saw the eldest chick take to the air for its first flight. It only made it a short distance, but these chicks are now very close to fledging! Out on the wader scrape were the 2 Curlew Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 119 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Ruff, 28 Shoveler and 20 Redshank whilst on the deep lake were 37 Tufted Duck, 5 Pochard and the Great Crested Grebe with a chick.
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Rushy Hide
Every time you count we seem to get a new total of Green Sandpiper! At least 13 were out on the lower pond this morning with a single Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper. Three Snipe were along the western edge near the small pollards and a Grey Wagtail was foraging in the overflow between the upper and lower ponds in front of the hide. A juvenile Black-tailed Godwit was also present.
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Zeiss Hide
A nice selection of waders were on the scrape this morning including 114 Dunlin, 128 Lapwing, 2 juvenile Little-Ringed Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Ruff, 2 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 12 Avocet and a Ringed Plover. Also present were 141 Teal and 53 Barnacle Geese.
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Kingfisher Hide
A Water Rail was calling from the reedbed in front of the hide this morning, where there was also a lot of Reed Warbler activity. A Sedge Warbler was also seen. Out on the Bottom New Piece field were the Crane family with the chick looking well. At least 130 Lapwing were in the field before being flushed by a Buzzard and moving to the Top New Piece with the other waders.
