Recent Sightings (4th- 7th Nov)
British Steel Hide
Plenty of wader action on the saline lagoons recently with large numbers of birds roosting during times of high tide. Approximate counts of 1100 Black-tailed Godwits, 350 Curlew, 230 Redshank and 200 Knot, 2 Greenshank, 30 Lapwing and 20 Dunlin have been taken from the hide. Wildfowl have included 51 Shelduck, 33 Tufted Ducks, 8 Shoveler, 95 Wigeon, 100 Teal, 11 Pintail, 30 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 6 Greylag Geese. Other species have included Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, all 5 common Thrush species, Little Egrets, Grey Herons and lots of Finches.
VisMig
A vismig count on the 6th from the Water Lab produced a few nice species including a Hawfinch, 4 Brambling, a Water Pipit, 3 Lesser Redpoll and a Snipe. These species were seen in amongst a good deal of passing Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Meadow Pipits.
Millennium Wetlands
The Deep Water Lake has been attracting good numbers of wildfowl of late, including 27 Teal, 34 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 1 Pintail, 2 Pochard, 12 Tufted Ducks, 9 Mute Swans, 2 Coot, 1 Wigeon, 7 Mallards, 2 Shelduck and 2 Little Grebes. 2 Lapwing, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Common Snipe have been seen from the Peter Scott hide also. The wetlands have been alive with Thrushes recently with Blackbirds, Fieldfares, Redwings, Mistle and Song Thrushes feeding on berries throughout the reserve. Bramblings have been heard near the Heron's Wing hide and the WWT yard, and a Hawfinch was heard calling near the Pond Walk near the fishing platforms. Siskins, Redpolls, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Bullfinches can be found around the reserve. The area around Hopkin's folly can be a good spot.
Listen out for Bramblings in amongst Chaffinch flocks. They have a very distinctive call which can be listened to here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/390302
There has been a huge influx of Hawfinches in Britain this autumn, so be on look/listen out for these birds as they pass overhead or sit high up in the tree tops. Their call can be listened to here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/391580.
A link to a map depicting recent Hawfinch sightings: https://twitter.com/RareBirdAlertUK/status/925715161981308928
