Yellow-browed warbler & returning shelducks
This morning I watched a clattering of jackdaw mob a juvenile peregrine flying over the Offham Hanger. Crows and jackdaws have been giving the buzzards a difficult time too.
On Sunday Guide-in-the-Hide David Harper spotted a yellow-browed warbler. These warblers have a distinct yellow eyebrow and some visit the UK on their migration southward after breeding in Siberia. David also spotted three lesser Redpolls on alder in car park were a hint of winter and some Mediterranean Gulls and Common Gulls mixed in with the black-headed gulls at the Ramsar hide. Raptors spotted on Sunday included a red kite, buzzards, peregrine and a merlin along with two ravens over Offham Hanger. Dave posts his interesting sightings on the Sussex Ornithology Society website if you want to see what he has spotted each weekend.
We have our first few shelducks back onsite for the winter. In late June or July after breeding season the shelducks leave our reserve and head to a large moult gathering where they will pull out their flight feathers. Most of the shelduck in the UK go to in Helgolands Bight on the North German Sea to moult, joining birds from all across northwest Europe.
The winter pied wagtail roost has started in late afternoon. On Sunday I watched 50 pied wagtails perch up in the tree tops of the carr woodland by the reedbed together before all dropping down into the reeds to spend the night.
Cormorants, grey herons and little egrets are showing daily from the Ramsar hide. The best time to see them is the mornings but the little egrets can be seen some days coming in to roost at the end of the day. This morning I spotted two little grebes at the Ramsar hide, too.
Snipe numbers continue to increase. My colleagues and I were walking across the wet grassland on Friday which sent 40 snipe into the air. Kingfisher sightings are increasing too as the vibrant blue birds become easier to see against the autumn colours. The last dragonflies and butterflies are hanging on enjoying this week’s warmer temperature. A few common darter and migrant hawker dragonflies are still on the wing and we are seeing red admirals on sunnier days.
