Goosander sighting
Holden Tower
Low tide during the hide round period produced a drake Goosander, it was viewable distantly through the murky weather from the tower, it was loafing and preening on one of the low tide pools/creeks. Other birds seen included a flock of 91 Canada Geese on the saltmarsh as well as 220 Barnacle Geese, 60 Wigeon and 120 Lapwing. A flock of 102 E. White-fronted Geese arrived on the sands and went to sleep for a time, a further 8 were grazing on the Tack Piece with 252 Canada and 48 Greylag Geese, a single Barnacle Goose was among the 'White-fronts' for a time. The Little Egret was again from the Martin Smith Hide.
South Lake
A large roost of 500 Lapwing was on the wader scrape with a few Black-tailed Godwit among them, 6 Snipe were along the causeway. Teal numbers were up to 200 on the scrape. On deep lake the male Pochard x Ferruginous duck hybrid and what may be a Pochard x Ring-necked Duck female with c30 Pochard. The Great Crested Grebe was also among them.
Zeiss Hide/Kingfisher Hide
The two floods and fields were very impressive, over 1000 Wigeon, 800 Teal, 100 Pintail, 6 Gadwall, 2o Mallard, 1000 Lapwing, 60 Golden Plover, 7+ Ruff, 25 Curlew, 200 Dunlin, 10+ Snipe, 8 Redshank and the Spotted Redshank were feeding or roosting.
Rushy Pen
Over 100 Bewick's Swans were at the roost, the Little Stint was feeding on muddy shores and the usual large gathering of wildfowl were at both feeds.
General
At least 12 Goldcrest were seen and heard on the hide round, many of them accompanying Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits in foraging flocks.
