Today's sightings
Rushy Pen
Our first Avocet chicks have hatched with 11 pairs still on nests. We have 17 pairs of Black-headed Gull nesting and a pair of Oystercatcher. The most obvious nest is the Great Crane Project pair Monty and Sedge which are still incubating two eggs. All being well they should hatch around 2 June.
We still have a pair of Wigeon plus Shoveler on the lower pond plus Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Grey aldn Canada Geese either nesting or with chicks.
Tack Piece
A single Avocet plus male Teal and Shoveler on the scrape, Reed Warblers in the reeds, Greylag Geese on the field.
Holden Tower
Five pairs of Avocet on the scrape and six Lapwing and 12+ breeding Skylark on the Dumbles. On the foreshore at high tide a small party of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, 1 Turnstone and c12 Sanderling were seen. A flock of 50 Canada Geese graze the spartina island and 300 large gulls of assorted but mostly immature ages.
Middle Point
Reed and Sedge Warblers in the reedbeds, worth scanning mudflats at low tide as the waders may be seen and 100 Shelduck feed here.
Ringed Plover, Pic-M.J.McGill
South Lake
A couple of Black-tailed Godwit, a pair of Avocet, two pairs of Oystercatcher and the Black-headed Gull colony were the highlights.
Zeiss Hide
Lapwing defending young, a pair of beautiful adult Black-tailed Godwits and at least 9 Avocet on the scrape. The Great Black-backed Gull pair is still nesting and a few Black-headed Gulls were loafing.
No sign of the Great White Egret at the North end of the reserve, a report of what was probably it flying S past Zeiss Hide at midday.
