Recent Sightings (19th (evening)- 22th Sep)
British Steel Hide
The British Steel has produced the goods this autumn with a Lesser Yellowlegs on the 20th and a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope (site first) from the 21st to at least 2pm on the 22nd. Other waders from the hide include a Whimbrel, up to 5 Ruff, a Grey Plover, a Lapwing, a Spotted Redshank and up to 15 Bar-tailed Godwits. Wader counts include 1020 Black-tailed Godwits, 436 Curlew, 345 Redshank, 66 Greenshank, 25 Dunlin and 149 Knot.
2 Spoonbills are still with us and have been joined by up to 3 Grey Herons and 35 Little Egrets around the saline lagoons. Wildfowl have included up to 130 Wigeon, 226 Greylag Geese, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (estuary), 30 Teal, 15 Pintail, 2 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Ducks, 9 Gadwall and a Great Crested Grebe (estuary).
Other birds have included 3 Kingfishers, a Red Kite was seen hunting over the saltmarsh from the visitor centre, a Peregrine, 50+ Linnets, 3 Pied Wagtails including a White Wagtail and a Lesser Whitethroat.
Millennium Wetlands
The Deep Water Lake seems to be attracting a few waders with counts of 28 Lapwing and 38 Black-tailed Godwits from the Peter Scott hide. Wildfowl species from Deep Water Lake include Shoveler, Gadwall, Little Grebe, Pintail, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Teal and Tufted Ducks. Around the reserve Meadow Pipits and Grey Wagtails are still being seen often and a Skylark was seen flying over. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are still common and are quite often mixed in amongst tit flocks.
Birds to (possibly) look out for in the near future
Wader passage is by not over yet so hopefully we will get another couple of desirable waders visiting the reserve. An American sandpiper species would be rather nice but something like a Little Stint or Curlew Sandpiper is more than welcome, so keep a careful eye on the wader flocks! With wintering birds returning to the reserve now, be on the look out for wintering birds of prey like Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers, Marsh Harriers and Red Kites. These will most likely be seen hunting over the saltmarsh from the British Steel or Michael Powell hides.
