Recent Sightings 14th June 2021
The following sightings were taken on Monday from the reserve at Castle Espie on a low tide. The male Shoveler has now been joined by another on the Freshwater lagoon. In addition to these ducks there are also Teal, Tufted, Gadwall and Mallard, with the latter both have broods just a few days old, and occasional glimpses can be seen as they move in and out of cover. The female Gadwall is a brownish, greyish colour which provides excellent camouflage when on the nest, and with young. The drake, which normally has a striking mottled and complex pattern on its feathers, is now in ‘eclipse’ plumage and closer resembles the female. There are 2 duckling Tufted ducks on the Limestone lake, mainly keeping to the lake edge and hiding in amongst the overhanging willows. To complete the extensive range of wildfowl at the site, there are occasional ‘rafts’ of Eider, occasionally seen around the southern side of the pier, never coming too close to the shore. The eider is our largest and fastest ducks, and also easy to identify, thanks to its bulky shape and stout head and neck. They gather in small groups with young particularly towards the end of the summer.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed gull 29, Common gull 1, Shelduck 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Coot 2, Tufted duck 2, Black-headed gull 15, Greylag goose (2 adults and 5 goslings), Mallard 18, Moorhen 1, Little grebe 1, Mute swan 1, Jackdaw 6, House martin 1
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Shelduck 1, Black-headed gull 27, Mallard 11, Greylag goose 1, Redshank 1
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 11, Mallard 5, Jackdaw 5
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard - 4 adults and 7 ducklings, Black-headed gull 81, Shoveler 2, Tufted duck 2, Moorhen 4 adults and 2 chicks, Sedge warbler 1, Swallow 3, Lesser black-backed gull 1, Gadwall 1 adult female and 9 ducklings
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Black-headed gull 40, Common tern 1
Brickworks
Goldfinch 3, Jackdaw 2
Limestone Lake
Tufted duck 2 ducklings, Black-headed gull 1 adult and 2 chicks
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Meadow pipit 2, Pied wagtail 2
Peninsula Field
Reed bunting 2, Meadow pipit 1
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Great tit, Robin, Blue tit, Wood pigeon, Goldcrest, Blackcap, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Jay, Song thrush, Willow warbler
