Today's update from morning round
Please note that we plan to tackle the rapidly growing vegetation that is blocking views from some hides. It may not be possible to do everything as we could potentially cause unacceptable disturbance to nesting birds and would not want to remove too much cover that protects them from large gull predation. If we have a work party in action we will do the job as quickly as possible and get out of the area to let things settle again.
Rushy Pen
Still a good place to see the majority of our breeding and summering ducks and geese, Greylags have broods, some very young, others fully grown. A few Gadwall, Tufted Duck with broods, Mallards, Shelduck with broods and Coot and Moorhen. Black-headed Gulls persist with nesting, Avocets have broods and some are still incubating. One pair of Oystercatcher with a single fledged chick. Some Lapwing are using the muddy edges to feed.
The Crane parents (Monty and Sedge) are taking turns to go off to feed, one remains to tend the chick but this is usually hidden.
South Lake
The Black-headed Gull colony is fledging lots of young, many are on the scrape. The wader scrape is showing sign of picking up, 14 Lapwing present, 10 in a flock which includes a fully fledged juvenile. Three little Lapwing chicks can be seen feeding near the Avocet colony which has 14 nests. A Green Sandpiper was near the Hogarth Hide as was one of the pairs of Oystercatcher with chick.
31 Black-tailed Godwit, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank were feeding on the scrape.
Zeiss Hide
Two drake Garganey were feeding on the flood with 21+ Teal, 25 Gadwall (1 brood of 5), 25 Shoveler, 30 Shelduck (3 broods) and 8 Avocets. 8 Lapwing included a fully fledged juvenile.
