Recent Sightings - 5th April 2021
Northerly winds have made this a very cold and blustery day here at Castle Epsie. We have even had a small flurry of snow! Many birds have taken up shelter in our habitats: the Black-tailed Godwit, Knot and Redshank roosting flocks moved, predominately, to the south side of the Shingle back to shelter from that freezing gale from the north. The Little Egrets refused to get out of bed, choosing to remaining in their overnight roosting spots in the trees around the Limestone Lake. Even the hardy Shelduck came up off the estuary to wait out the winds by roosting up on our shingle bank.
Despite the almost winter-like weather, the was still a glimpse of spring to be heard down in the Secret Swamp; the song of the Blackcap. Blackcaps are warbler that like bramble thickets for their nesting sites. The Secret Swamp is perfect for them. They are a grey songbird, the males have a distinctive Black "cap" on their heads, but the females have a chestnut brown "cap" on theirs. Blackcaps are migratory birds and will fly South from their summer breeding grounds to wait out the winter. In recent years, Blackcaps are becoming more and more common in our gardens in the winter time. With our winters becoming less harsh, due to the changing climate, continental Blackcaps are not travelling as far as the Mediterranean to spend the winter, but are coming to our shores instead. The breeding Blackcaps at Castle Espie however will spend their winters in Southern Europe or potentially in Africa. It's fantastic to hear the song of a returning male once again, after making it's long journey back home.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Light-bellied Brent goose 4, Black-headed gull 24, Little Egret 3, Redshank 1, Curlew 3, Common Gull 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 3, Coot 2, Little Grebe 2, Black-headed gull 127, Moorhen 1, Teal 16, Goldeneye 1, Little Egret 1, Common Gull 3
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Lesser black-backed gull 2, Black-headed gull 102, Black-tailed Godwit c.250, Redshank c.125, Knot 2, Greenshank 1, Shelduck 11
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 33, Shelduck 2
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard 2, Teal 3, Mallard 2, Black-headed gull 236, Black-tailed godwit 28, Knot 39, Coot 2, Moorhen 4, Lesser black-backed gull 2, Hooded Crow 1, Sparrowhawk 1
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Black-headed gull 88, Greenshank 1, Redshank 5, Little Egret 4, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Brickworks
Goldfinch 1, Jackdaw 5, Wood Pigeon 2, Linnet 3
Limestone Lake
Mallard 1, Moorhen 1, Little Egret 19
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Black-headed gull 1
Peninsula Field
Jackdaw 1, Wood Pigeon 1
Woodland
Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Blackcap, Magpie
