Stormy Wednesday Sightings
Strong north easterlies are sweeping across the reserve with some heavy showers. Peter Scott Trail: With the strong winds this trail is quiet however there are chiffchaff, willow warblers, bla [...]
Strong north easterlies are sweeping across the reserve with some heavy showers.
Peter Scott Trail:
With the strong winds this trail is quiet however there are chiffchaff, willow warblers, black birds, song thrushes, finches, blue and great tits, dunnock, wren and reed bunting.
Whooper Pond:
We have had a large influx of swallows today with over 100 birds flying gracefully over whooper pond and the surrounding area.
Other sightings were 29 mute swans, 13 tufted duck, 32 mallards, 4 canada geese, 23 house martin, 44 sand martin, 2 oystercatchers, 2 pied wagtails and 3 moorhen.
Folly Pond:
Folly Pond sightings included 4 gadwall, 4 oystercatchers, 7 shovelor, 6 widgeon, 24 teal, 27 mallards, 5 black tailed godwit and 1 shelduck.
Salcot Merse Observatory:
It has been a good day for passage golden plover with over 700 in full breeding plumage on the merse and indeed throughout the reserve. The golden plover have been coming through in waves all day.
Skylarks, meadow pipits, lapwings, shelduck and redshank are again in good numbers on the merse.
The big highlight of the day was 3 early swifts flying west along the Solway at supersonic speed.
Teal Pond:
Very quiet on Teal pond today; with the mute swan curled up on her nest.
Campbell Hide:
3 majestic curlew were feeding very close to the hide today; what a beautiful bird close up!
There were 11 teal, 3 widgeon, 2 moorhen, 1 shelduck and our lapwing pair had a peaceful crow free day. Pied wagtails have a nest in the hide roof so listen out for the chicks...
Avenue Tower:
Similar to the lapwings in the Flood Ground our breeding pairs in Lochar Field and Tower field had a crow free day. Lochar Field and Tower Field were excellent vantage points to view the golden plover passage; still no dotterel! We need our eagle-eyed reserve warden to return from his much deserved holiday...
Other sightings:
Only 1790 barnacle geese on site this morning however there were over 17,000 counted at Rockcliffe yesterday therefore the migration to Svalbard is imminent.
If you see anything exciting on the reserve today please let us know at reception.
(Rob Martyr, Snr Warden)
