Today's sightings
Holden Tower
Hedge and ground feeding birds at dawn included four Blackbird, 4 Chaffinch and a Dunnock. Out on the Dumbles salt marsh and pasture the goose flocks offered Greylag, Canada and Barnacle Geese. Wigeon and Lapwing numbers are increasing here thanks to the restoration of the pools thanks to rainfall. A flock of 600 Golden Plover, 1000 Lapwing and 600 Dunlin were moving between here and the wet fields adjacent to the hides.
Zeiss Hide (Top New Piece)
Very busy with waders as mentioned above, in addition roosting on the flood were 10 Ruff, 5 Redshank, the Spotted Redshank, 4 Snipe and 5 Black-tailed Godwit. Duck numbers have been steadily increasing since the cold snap last week. 1000 Teal, 1200 Wigeon and 100 Pintail roosting or feeding on the flood.
Kingfisher Hide
Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders, Song Thrush singing plus Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting in the reeds. 26 Curlew fed on the fields with Ruff, Redshank, Lapwing and Dunlin. A mixed flock of Teal and Wigeon were on the flood.
South Lake
30 Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant and Tufted Duck on deep lake, flocks of Shoveler, Lapwing and Teal on the wader scrape with a few Dunlin, Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit for good measure. A large gathering of Black-headed Gulls was notable with Common, Herring and Lesser Black-backed among them.
