Recent Sightings 12th December 2022
Castle Espie was completely shrouded in frost this morning, followed swiftly by a wintery fog creeping over the Main Lake. The Estuary was bursting with life as waders of all shapes and sizes rushed to feed before the tide came in. A solo Snipe was hunkered down amongst seaweed on the Lough, its golden brown stripes helping it blend in perfectly to its surroundings. And a small group of Grey plover were busy running around the Shelducks and larger birds. Grey plover are slightly larger than the similar Golden plover, and are, surprisingly, more grey than gold. Grey plover are mainly a winter migrant, and show off a black throat and breast as breeding plumage in the spring.
A male Pintail (pictured) was gracefully gliding across the Main Lake through the throngs of Mallard and Teal, standing out from the crowd with its striking white neck and slender shape. Pintail have a small breeding population in the UK and are more likely to be seen here over the winter on different water bodies with other ducks. Their most distinctive feature is their long, tapering tail feathers.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Shelduck 16, Little egret 4, Oystercatcher 286, Black-tailed godwit 3, Curlew 11, Redshank 58, Greenshank 3, Black-headed gull 7, Common gull 4, Herring gull 2, Grey plover 12, Turnstone 6, Hooded crow 2, Snipe 1, Goldeneye 19, Eider 8, Widgeon 8, Cormorant 8, Great-crested grebe 4, Knot ~60 (flying over), Dunlin ~150, Northern shoveler 5, Light-bellied brent goose 113, Grey heron 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Kingfisher 1, Gadwall 46, Pintail 1, Mallard 181, Tufted duck 12, Teal 105, Moorhen 3, Grey heron 1, Little egret 1, Black-headed gull 1, Little grebe 1
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Teal 9, Mallard 10, Moorhen 3
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-tailed godwit 3, Little egret 2, Redshank 2, Oystercatcher , Moorhen 9, Greenshank 1
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Moorhen 4, Teal 1
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little grebe 9, Little egret 1, Grey heron 1, Black-headed gull 1, Greenshank 1, Redshank 1, Moorhen 1, Robin
Limestone Lake
Cormorant 1, Little grebe 1, Kingfisher 1
Woodland
Robin, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Magpie, Blue tit
