Recent Sightings - 23rd August 2021

There was lots of activity this morning from everyone's favourite bejewelled beautiful birds, the Kingfishers. A pair of Kingfisher were seen not once, not twice but three separate times this morning! Darting across the surface of the the Main Lake, the Saline Lagoon and the Limestone Lake.

During the breeding season, the Kingfishers disappear from Castle Espie, presumably to their nesting hole off site. However in the early autumn and even into winter they can be seen fishing around the edges of our water bodies regularly. Check posts, overhanging branches and dead trees in the water around the edges of all our water bodies to catch a glimpse. Very often all you will see is the brilliant blue stripe flying away from you, which is gorgeous in itself, but if you're patient and lucky, they can be observed fishing. Something that will improve you're odds immeasurable in finding Kingfishers is learning their call. For a small bird they make a loud singular "keee-ee" call as they fly. It often draws your attention to their location.

Other notables this week are the building numbers of Little Egret and Teal at Castle Espie. Regular winter residents, beginning to return. A Wheater was seen in the Peninsula Marsh during the week also, so check the coastline for migrating birds starting to move South.

Count taken at Low tide on Monday morning.

Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory

Curlew 1, Oystercatcher 3, Little Egret 7, Lesser black-backed gull 3, Black-headed Gull 33,

Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre

Mallard 11, Little Grebe 1, Goldeneye , Teal 6, Tufted Duck 1, Gadwall 2, Greylag goose 2, Cormorant 1

Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre

Mallard 78, Moorhen 2, Jackdaw 1

Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide

Moorhen 4, Black-head Gull 3, Teal 7

Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg

Mallard 13, Moorhen 1, Swallow 1, Teal 7

Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory

Little Grebe 4

Brickworks

Goldfinch 60+

Limestone Lake

Mallard 6, Kingfisher 2

Peninsula Saltmarsh

Black-headed Gull 1

Peninsula Field

Wood Pigeon 1

Woodland

Photo Credit: Lesley Barker

• Share this article