Recent Sightings - 11th October 2021
Migrating birds are well and truly here now! Over a thousand Brent are being seen every day and waders numbers are beginning to build; 170 Curlew were seen at one point over the weekend. Golden Plover are being seen with Lapwing out on the estuary too. Well and away the best new arrival this week though is our first Whooper Swans of the year.
Seen yesterday, swimming out in the open water at high tide, Whooper Swans are our biggest migrating wildfowl species to Strangford Lough. These large white birds have bright yellow bills and give an overall slender appearance than our resident Mute Swans. There are slightly lighter than their orange bill cousins, averaging around 10kg, enabling to make their long distance migration. Our Strangford birds, breed in spring and summer up in Iceland and spend their winter feeding in fields and on the Lough. Listen out for their distinct large honking calls that give them their name.
Count taken at Low tide on 11/10/2021
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed gull 15, Little egret 6, Brent 850, Oystercatcher 25, Redshank 1, Curlew 2, Lesser black-backed gull 1, (Whooper Swan 16, High Tide yesterday)
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Mute swan 3, Mallard 23, Tufted duck 4, Little Grebe 1, Mute swan 3
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Teal 32, Mallard 19, Moorhen 2, Gadwall 6, Tufted Duck 1, Black-headed Gull 1
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Teal 20, Moorhen 1
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Moorhen 1, Coot 3, Grey wagtail 2
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little grebe 5, Herring Gull 1, Goldeneye 1
Brickworks
Jackdaw 4
Limestone Lake
Kingfisher 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Little egret 1
Peninsula Field
Linnet 10,
Woodland
Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Great tit, Coal tit, Blue tit, Long-tail Tit, Wood pigeon, Goldcrest, Magpie, Jay , Hooded Crow
