Recent Sightings - 31st August 2020
Exciting news! The Brent Geese have begun to return to Strangford Lough, their winter home. The geese were seen in the middle of last week having reached the Northern Coast of Northern Ireland, but they were first seen here, from the Brent hide on Saturday morning; around 250 birds in all between Castle Espie and Rough Island. By Sunday their numbers had swelled to around 750! Over the coming weeks, more and more birds will began to arrive back and their numbers will swell further. With the arrival of September, our wintering bird surveys of the mudflats will begin again. We will be able to provide accurate counts of the Brent flocks and where best to see them at Castle Espie.
Count taken at Low tide.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed gull 22, Common gull 6, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1, Oystercatcher c.300, Little Egret 4, Brent Geese c.80
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Mallard 40, Goldeneye 1, Tufted Duck 7, Teal 3, Black-headed Gull 1, Wood pigeon 2
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Mallard 73, Wigeon 2, Black-tailed Godwit 8, Teal 3, Moor 2
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 1, Teal 7, Mallard 2, Greylag 1, Moorhen 4
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard 19, Tufted duck 2, Teal 10, Moorhen 4, Coot 2, Swallow 4, House Martin 4, Goldfinch c.20, Bullfinch 2
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Grebe 4
Limestone Lake
Moorhen 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Hooded Crow 3
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Robin, Great tit, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Wood pigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw
