Recent Sightings 7th Feb 2022
The following sightings were taken on Monday from the reserve at Castle Espie on a low tide. The Green-winged teal is continuing to remain amongst the flock of Teal on the reserve, and can be best viewed on the shingle bank while loafing on the edge. We have also had a male Pintail amongst the waterfowl on the main lake this past few weeks, and it has recently been joined by another male. Pintail are winter visitors to Strangford lough but are not often seen on the reserve at Castle Espie and the estuary bordering it. Pintail have an attractive plumage with elongated tail feathers, particularity prominent in the male, and this is where the species gets its name. The males also have a brown head and white breast with a white stripe extending from the breast into the head feathers. They are a very distinctive species and shouldn't be confused with any other duck. The females, like many other duck species, are brown and drab in comparison to the male, but also possess elongated tail feathers, which are a good identification feature to separate from other species. Strangford Lough is one of the top sites in the country for this species and it is red listed due to the decline in the breeding population across Europe in recent years.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Herring gull 5, Oystercatcher 41, Redshank 16, Hooded crow 1, Light-bellied brent goose 10, Black-headed gull 78, Curlew 6, Shelduck 64, Red-breasted merganser 3, Knot ~250, Wigeon 2, Grey heron 1, Lesser black-backed gull 1, Little egret 5
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 40, Tufted duck 9, Teal 54, Moorhen 5, Gadwall 2, Coot 2, Little egret 2
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 62, Teal 62, Gadwall 4, Wood pigeon 1, Oystercatcher 16, Green-wing teal 1, Herring gull 1, Pintail 2, Black-tailed godwit 2
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Moorhen 11
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Moorhen 2, Mallard 15, Teal 1
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Teal 2, Little grebe 2
Brickworks
Jackdaw 1
Limestone Lake
Moorhen 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Redshank 1
Peninsula Field
Jackdaw 1
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Chaffinch, Great tit, Siskin, Robin, Blue tit, Wood pigeon, Jackdaw, Bullfinch, Goldcrest, Coal tit, Buzzard, Pied wagtail, Grey wagtail
