Recent Sightings (17th-19th Jan)
British Steel Hide
Some early high tides have brought in a nice selection of waders onto the saline lagoons. Waders have included 649 Dunlin, 368 Curlew, 409 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Knot, 15 Redshank, 15 Greenshank, 2 Spotted Redshanks, 1 Grey Plover, 4 Snipe, 38 Lapwing and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit. 2 Spoonbills have been regularly feeding in front of the Michael Powell Hide (up until the 18th). A drake Scaup was found on the NRA scrapes on the 17th, but sadly only remained for the morning. Other wildfowl have included 6 Pochard, 11 Tufted Ducks, a male Goldeneye (estuary), 1 Great Crested Grebe (estuary), 6 Shoveler, 2 Canada Geese, 7 Gadwall, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (estuary) and a good flock of Wigeon are still to be found from the hide. The Gull roost on the 18th produced 706 Herring Gulls, 29 Great Black-Backed Gulls, 13 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls and a 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull. Other species have included 3 Skylarks, a Stonechat, 19 Cormorants, 1 Raven, 3 Reed Buntings, 9 Linnets, 1 Buzzard and 2 Little Egrets.
Millennium Wetlands
Wildfowl counts from the Peter Scott Hide have included 38 Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochard, 8 Shoveler, 3 Shelduck, 3 Little Grebes, 19 Teal, 7 Gadwall and 8 Coot. Reduced duck numbers on the lake may be caused by regular disturbance from the Otter, which has been seen from the Peter Scott or Heron's Wing hide every day for 6 days! A wintering Chiffchaff was seen fly-catching around a hedgerow near the visitor centre and a fantastic male Brambling was feeding from the café feeders on the 18th.
