Recent Sightings (16th-19th June)
Millennium Wetlands
Lots to see this week around the reserve. Keep a particular eye out for newly fledged or semi-fledged birds, including Reed Warblers, Blue-tits, Reed Bunting and Magpies. On the water counts have been of 6 Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 6 Mute Swan, including 6 Cygnets by one set of parents. Twenty-Seven Gadwall, 1 Wigeon, 7 Shelduck, 13 Mallard, 6 Shoveler, 8 Pochard and 6 Tufted Duck were noted this week. A further 8 Moorhen, 5 Coot, 4 Lapwing and 2 Mediterranean Gull were seen over the Deep Water Lake area of the reserve. A group of 7 Bullfinch were seen, along with 2 others. Also 15 Long-Tailed Tit, 10 Goldfinch, 7 Blackcap, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Jay and 17 Chiffchaff made this weeks counts. There are still good numbers of Black-Tailed Godwits on Deep Water Lake, but recent count only concluded to 23 individuals. Sedge Warbler counts have been 4, along with 5 Reed Warbler and 2 Reed Bunting. Two Cuckoo, probably on their migration back to Africa, have been heard on the reserve, as well as the Green Woodpecker.
British Steel Hide
A count on 18th revealed 3 roosting Sandwich Terns in amongst the 75 Black-Headed Gull. Other Gulls include 6 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Great Black-Backed Gull, 25 Lesser Black-Backed Gull and 7 Herring Gull. Three Juvenile Lapwing were also seen on the Dafen Scrapes. Good counts of Curlew were seen during the high tides at the weekend. The 2 Spoonbill are still present on the saline lagoons, along with 13 Cormorant, 2 Greylag Geese. 1 Canada Goose and 68 Shelduck.
