Much needed rain
At last! We've finally had some decent rainfall to top up the scrapes and ditches, multiple weeks with light or no rainfall led to rapidly lowering water levels on a few scrapes that we want to keep wet. This is somewhat hard to believe after such a wet Winter and Spring. The ditch network in our area is highly effective at draining off water, especially with a run of low tides. Over the weekend the South Lake Wader Scrape and Top New Piece have recovered, for now at least. We still have plenty of wet muddy shorelines available to the wading birds, the scrapes have been attracting a greater variety than the estuary. Twelve species of wading bird (shorebird) have been noted daily on the scrapes with Curlew on the estuary mud or inland fields. This total will certainly increase through July.
Sightings as follows.
South Lake
Spotted Redshank (also seen on the Rushy), 47 Redshank, 3 Little-ringed Plover (2 juveniles), 26 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Green Sandpiper, 5 male Ruff, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Avocet, 10 Pied Wagtail, Egyptian Goose + 4 young, 4 Pochard and c30 Gadwall. Hobby over the grounds.
Tack Piece
74 Black-tailed Godwit (moved to South Lake), three Oystercatcher, two Green Sandpiper and 3 Gadwall as the scrape level rose.
Top New Piece
Common and 4 Green Sandpiper, 12 breeding plumage Dunlin, 46 Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Great Egret, 8 Redshank, 5 Lapwing, 5 Avocet, Gadwall with brood of 6, brood of Shelduck, 8 Pied Wagtail.
Estuary
Five Common Sandpiper at the Royal Drift, distant views from Middle Point.
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Saturday 6 July
South Lake- Discovery Hide
Six Little Ringed Plovers, 3 juvenile Redshank among 59 adults. A tiny female Reeve with 4 male Ruff. 37 Pied Wagtails, 34 Teal, 25 Sand Martins, 104 Gadwall, 2 Pochard, 29 Black Tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 4 Oystercatcher, Egyptian Goose brood and single Black Swan.
Kingfisher Hide
A very wet looking family of Cranes this morning, Little Grebe 1, Roe Buck & Doe, a Gadwall family of 4, Dunnock singing. Cranes Oakie & Sherbert plus chick on BNP, Kingfisher pair busy in and out of nest feeding, Tufted Duck 2 females each with a chick.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
Brood of 6 Gadwall, broods of 3 and 6 Shelduck, 2 Little Egret, 95 Black Tailed Godwit, 8 Dunlin, 8 Avocet, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher, 7 Sand Martin, 1 juvenile Little Grebe.
Bottom New Piece
Lapwing 45, Stock Dove 3, Little Egret 2.
Tack Piece-Robbie Garnett & Steven Kirk Hides
21 Black-tailed Godwit, three Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher small numbers of Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall. Singles of Common Sandpiper, Reed Warbler, Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Snipe; Cetti’s Warbler singing.
Estuary Tower- Dumbles
20 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 3 Lapwing, 2 Skylark; Long Ground: 2 Little Egret, Grey Heron, Sand Martins.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
12 Avocet + 4 juveniles, Oystercatcher, Pochard, large broods of Shelduck and Tufted Duck.
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Friday 5 July
Middle Point
The male White-spotted Bluethroat still showing on the perches. 13 Shelduck, 20 Curlew, 8 Little Egret, 4 Oystercatcher, 9 Barnacle Goose, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Marsh Harrier.
