Otter family and a pair of Whooper Swans
Kingfisher Hide
Three Otters were the undoubted highlight, they were seen mid morning and appear to be the same family that have recently been captured on the reserve's trail cameras. 200 Teal were on the distant flood.
Rushy Hide and Peng Observatory
112 Bewick's Swans noted on site today (as per S. Heaven) with 80+ present here at the morning feed. Other species included 100s Tufted Duck, 100+ Pochard, 100s Mallard, 80+ Pintail, 2 Little Stints (Top pond islands) and 10 Snipe (lower pond shore). A pair of adult Whooper Swans arrived mid afternoon and remained to dark, presumably to roost. This pair were seen to retaliate to the aggressive Mute Swan pair and actually drove them away for a change!
Tack Piece
Large numbers of duck at dawn, many stayed on the central flood through the day despite lots of attention from a 'cream-crown' Marsh Harrier, the passing Buzzards and Peregrine Falcon. 48 Shoveler, 140 Pintail, 400 Teal, 850 Wigeon. A Little Stint, 220 Curlew, 41 Redshank, 15 Ruff and 450 Golden Plover were also counted among the Lapwing, up to 900 were present early morning. The Russian White-fronted Geese hopped over the hedge from the Goose House Ground and spent the afternoon feeding here too, 106 were counted.
Martin Smith Hide/ Decoy Wood area
Three Redpolls with the Goldfinches, what are probably the same birds were seen in the grounds and as far S as the Kingfisher Hide today.
Holden Tower
Five Blackbirds, two Song Thrush, a Mistle Thrush (on mistletoe) and two Linnet were in the copse by the hide, a Water rail fed below. Out on the scrape a flock of 500 Lapwing and 200 Wigeon were present early with the Red-breasted Goose (ringed) with the Barnacle Goose flock.
South Lake
107 Shoveler, 65 Pochard, 20 Shelduck, 700 Lapwing, 114 Black-tailed Godwith and 11 Cormorant from Discovery Hide, three Snipe, 70 Teal, 30 Dunlin and 20 Shoveler from Hogarth Hide.
Zeiss Hide
A careful scan revealed a minimum of 87 Snipe, a Little Stint was among the 1000+ Lapwing, 80 Dunlin, 200 Golden Plover. 9 Shoveler, 400 Teal and 45 Wigeon were on the floods or nearby. Three Cormorants and a Cetti's Warbler were also noted. A Peregrine Flacon made a kill very early morning.
