Good birding in the mild winter weather
A Glossy Ibis was flushed from the Rushy by the Marsh Harrier after spending ten minutes here, it flew toward South Lake + 14 Snipe, 1 Avocet and 99 Bewick's Swans this morning.
South Lake
Busy at the duck marsh with Teal and Shoveler, a few Gadwall and Wigeon also present, the two Avocet still on wader scrape with Lapwing. Three or four Cattle Egret mid afternoon with two Little Egret
Long Ground Pool
10 Cattle, 1 Great White and 3 Little Egrets roosted but have 'gone out' for the day, the Cattle Egrets were in the canalside fields near Shepherds Patch.
Tack Piece
Very busy with birds, 21 Ruff, Redshank, 80 Curlew and 180 Black-tailed Godwit are feeding here with the Teal, Wigeon, Pintail flocks, Peregrine and Marsh Harrier making regular visits. One White-fronted Goose (probably Greenland) with the Canada Geese early morning. Little Stint with the Dunlin this afternoon and 2000 Golden Plover.
Robbie Garnett Hide
Two Siskin feeding in Alder tree just E of + Goldcrest
Stephen Kirk Hide
Two Great White Egret in flight over the Northern part of the reserve, a territorial pursuit, one moved to the paleo channel in the Stall House Ground and could be seen from the hide.
Willow/Knott Hide
Water Rail
South Finger filter beds viewing screen
Water Rail on the rides
Martin Smith Hide
Chiffchaff flycatching above the E end of + Cetti's Warbler calling
White-fronts
The Russian White-fronted Goose flock has been feeding in the Stall House Ground, viewed distantly in the 'mizzle' from Estuary Tower, twice flushed this am (Marsh Harrier and a helicopter), the flock headed to the Severn both times before returning to SHG.
Both the Top and Bottom New Pieces
Busy with 1000s waders and 100s of wildfowl this morning, worth scanning the flocks from Kingfisher and Zeiss Hides.
