Cold spell continues
The cold weather this week continues with even colder night time temperatures yet to come, all shallow water areas have been frozen in the mornings but thawing by the afternoon, some numbers are down as they disperse over a wide area to feed or move to open water elsewhere. The Wetland Bird Survey was completed yesterday, we will share the results when written up.
Highlights today included at least 113 but probably 118 Bewick's Swans on site at dawn, read on for other sightings.
Tin Shed Ground from Van de Bovenkamp Hide
A single Barnacle Goose was keeping close company with 188 Russian White-fronted Goose flock after the latest arrivals, also seen yesterday, shunning the naturalised geese so far.
Bottom New Piece
400 Lapwing including the leucistic individual, 300 Golden Plover, 140 Dunlin, 36 Russian White-fronted Geese.
South Lake
Twelve egrets roosted overnight but it was too dark to discern what was what, late afternoon there were two Cattle and three Little Egret roosting in the NW section of the deep lake.
Estuary Tower
Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 200 Wigeon on the scrape. The Ross's Goose was with the Barnacle Goose flock.
Tack Piece
The Snow Goose roosted as did two Cranes, mobile flocks of Wigeon, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Teal, Black-tailed Godwit all day. A couple of Bullfinches in the hedge along the path to Estuary Tower.
Top New Piece
70 Black-tailed Godwit, 160 Lapwing, 200 Wigeon, 220 Teal and 35 Pintail.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Busy with birds all day, fantastic at sunset as the Bewick's Swans arrived to roost. Four Greenfinch flew over this morning.
