Recent Sightings (4th-6th April)
British Steel Hide
A few nice bits and bobs from the hide from the past couple of days include a Green Sandpiper on the NRA scrapes (6th), 3 Spoonbills (6th), an Avocet (5th) and a Swallow on the 6th. Wader counts have included 541 Black-tailed Godwits, 84 Knot, 44 Curlew, 38 Redshank and 6 Greenshank. Wildfowl have included 9 Pintail (3 on the lagoons), 13 Wigeon, 37 Shelduck, 24 Tufted Ducks, a Pochard, 6 Gadwall and a Little Grebe. Other birds have included 10 Little Egrets, a Linnet, 5 Great Black-Backed Gulls, 2 Pied Wagtails and 8 Cormorants.
Millennium Wetlands
Migrants on the reserve side have included 8 Swallows, 18 Sand Martins, 35+ Chiffchaffs, 7 Willow Warblers and 7 Blackcaps. Other birds have been the female Ring-necked Duck (6th), 6 Teal, 8 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, a Mediterranean Gull, 8 Lapwing, a Snipe and some good flocks of Black-tailed Godwits and Knot on the Deep Water Lake. A Green Woodpecker is often heard calling around the Heron's Wing Hide area and is quite frequently seen. 12 Feral Pigeons flew across the Millennium Wetlands on the 5th, probably one of only a handful of site records. Four Sparrowhawks have been seen displaing on the Northern Loop. Also seen on the reserve 2 Buzzards, 5 Little Egrets, a Peregrine, a Kingfisher, a Barn Owl, Reed Buntings, Cetti's Warblers and even a lingering Redwing.
Other Wildlife
A nice array of Butterfly species enjoyed Thursdays sunny weather, with Brimstone, Comma, Red Admiral, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell all being seen on the reserve. A few Slow Worms and Common Lizards have been seen too.
