Four Kingfishers at the nesting bank
The Kingfisher Hide was proving it's very well named with four Kingfishers in view at the same time this morning. We have been watching them fight and chase as the resident pair try to chase off the intruders. To top off the scene this morning the three Otters paid a visit, even stopping to spraint below the nest hole, a good marking spot where the bank collapsed in the heavy rains, fresh diggings from the nest hole are sprinkled over the top, the ideal litter tray!
The slumped soil isn't so good for the Kingfishers, they have coped with setbacks due to extremely wet weather and bank collapse, moving nest hole from the original spot, this spoil provides a place for predators to get closer to the hole, we had dug this material away in the last week of January to make is safer but it might not be risky to do so so now due to the activity. Another male Kingfisher was on the Duck Decoy pond this morning, with luck they may choose to nest in a bank that we created in February.
Sightings today included.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Two Whooper Swan, 2 Oystercatcher, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Avocet, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Lapwing, Black-headed Gulls + Teal, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Shelduck and a few Pintail
Tack Piece from all the hides facing N/NE
Ruff, 14 Redshank, 4 Curlew, 120 Black-tailed Godwit, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Shelduck, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Bewick's Swan, 2 Little Egret, 2 Snipe + drake Pochard
South Lake from both Discovery and Hogarth Hides
Ten Cattle Egret, 45 Avocet, 60 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatcher, 140 Black-headed Gulls (includes 56 pairs), Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, GC Grebe and Chiffchaff singing
Kingfisher Hide
Three Otters and 4 Kingfishers at the nest bank this morning + 2 displaying Lapwing, c40 Teal in the flood on the Bottom New Piece + 3 Roe Deer.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
120 Wigeon, a few Tufted Duck and c30 Teal, 54 Avocet on the main flood + 2 Oystercatcher and a few Black-headed Gulls.
Otter trio from Kingfisher Hide, MJMcGill
