Post 'mini-beast'
Luckily for our wildlife the latest cold snap didn't freeze into the ground or the surface water allowing bird species to forage for food. It didn't last as long as the previous Siberian blast but still had an impact on bird behaviour, some movements were noted on Sunday with passerines such as Skylark and Meadow Pipit forming 'winter' flocks. The snow has largely melted and things return to normal. The extra water tops up certain seasonal marshes which is good news for the breeding season.
Rushy Hide and Peng Observatory
Six Avocet, 92 Pintail and 7 Pochard are among the notable species present this morning.
Tack Piece
115 Black-tailed Godwit, 24 Redshank, 400 Wigeon, 90 Teal, 2 Oystercatcher, the Red-breasted Goose and part of the Russian White-fronted Goose flock were here in the morning.
Holden Tower
Dumbles- 121 Russian White-fronted Geese were on the estuary but the flock divided between here and the Tack Piece. A flock of 5 Greylag Geese continued to feed on the warth, this group may well be of foreign origin, the two pairs on the seawall were more likely to be local breeders. Two Barnacle Geese, a few Lapwing and a pair of Avocet and pair of Pied Wagtail were also present. A Great Crested Grebe on the estuary was a spring migrant which had c70 Wigeon for company as the tide came in.
Knott Hide
8 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe, 35 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Gadwall, 7 Tufted Duck and a pair of Mute Swan. No sign of the rather showy Jack Snipe that was present yesterday.
Common Snipe. MJM
South Lake
7 Cormorant, 172 Black-tailed Godwit, 37 Avocet and a few Common Gull with the territorial Black-headed Gulls, the 350 'grounded' Common Gull over the previous two days took advantage of the thaw and drop in wind so have moved on, no sign of the adult Mediterranean Gull that was seen on Sunday. Yesterday a flock of 57 Avocet were seen here.
Zeiss Hide
85 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Avocet, 9 Snipe, 150 Wigeon and 10 Lapwing, the latter species was once again displaying over the Top and Bottom New Piece today.
Migrants
A male Wheatear on Sunday 18th was the first of the year, it looked rather miserable in the snow, not quite the spring welcome this smart bird deserved.
