Today's sightings
A productive morning for visitors on our Bird Watch Morning event with 50 species seen on a leisurely walk around the reserve. Find out dates of upcoming Bird Watch Mornings and our Advanced Birder events on our website here.
Summer Walkway
Access from the Holden Tower, the Summer Walkway is providing some great birding. Several Wheatear, a single Whinchat and a reeling (singing) Grasshopper Warbler were present again this morning. Over 100 Sand Martin were feeding over the Tack Piece with a few Swallows mixed in for good measure. At least 2 Skylark were in full song near the seawall and 3 pairs of Meadow Pipit were busy foraging along the fence line. Three Cranes flew over the Tack Piece heading north.
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Rushy Hide & Peng Observatory
The redhead Smew was still present this morning, occasionally coming out of the water to preen. The bird is usually in the back of the top pond along the shoreline or on the most vegetated island near the Scott House. At least two Mediterranean Gulls were present mid-morning, a first-summer bird with very little black on the head, and a second-summer bird with just a hint of smudgy black on the wing tips, but otherwise looking like an adult bird.
Twelve Avocets, a single Redshank and single Black-tailed Godwit were on the lower pond and a pair of Oystercatchers were on the causeway.
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South Lake Hides
Ten gorgeous Ruff were feeding on the scrape, all very different in their appearance. A single Redshank was also present. A total of 20 Avocets were on the scrape this morning along with a pair of Crane (Bart and Ruby). A pair of Little Grebe were on the deep lake with a pair of Great Crested Grebes, 3 Cormorants and a mixture of duck including Gadwall, Shoveler and Tufted Duck. A pair of Oystercatchers were on the causeway in front of the Discovery Hide.
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Zeiss Hide
The Black-tailed Godwit flock seem to have relocated to the Top New Piece scrape with 215 present this morning. Numbers have gradually dropped from around 350 in recent weeks as bird head north to breeding grounds in Iceland. Two pairs of Avocet were also on the scrape. Three Cranes were also seen.
The reedbed is full of song again from Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting.
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