Monday 14 February
A summary of this mornings sightings
South Lake
29 Avocet, 2 pairs of Oystercatcher, 225 Black-tailed Godwit but they are moving to the 'Pieces', 5 Wigeon, Great Crested Grebe, 25 Pochard, 450 Lapwing + Teal, Shoveler, Cormorant, Black-headed and a few Common Gulls.
Top New Piece
Eight Pintail, numbers of Lapwing, Dunlin and 151 Black-tailed Godwit with at least 22 Knot hidden among them, likely to be more. Flocks of Wigeon, Teal, singing Reed Bunting (first of the year?) and a Grey Heron.
Bottom New Piece
Large numbers of Lapwing and Dunlin in the far flood with at least 8 Ruff and 29 Pintail among the Teal and Wigeon
Rushy
61 Pochard, 115 Bewick's Swans, Avocet, pair of Oystercatcher.
Martin Smith Hide/Tack Piece
Two Little Stint along scrape edge feeding on the grass areas, c25 Russian White-fronted Geese, 450 Golden Plover, 400 Lapwing, 360 Wigeon, c70 Teal, c55 Dunlin, 72 Curlew, 12 Redshank, Ruff + 15 Snipe from Martin Smith Hide.
Grounds
Three Oystercatcher in the Big Pen, a calling Chiffchaff in the trees above the Otter enclosure, Cett'is Warbler also calling nearby, at least three Siskin with the Goldfinches and Chaffiches near the Hogarth Hide bridge with a singing Greenfinch also present.
Estuary Tower
Three Snow Geese, the Ross's Goose with Barnacle Geese, 114 Russian White-fronted Geese early but began to move off, Marsh Harrier hunting over Rushy/Tack Piece and beyond, very mobile
