Yellowhammers and Osprey
Two Yellowhammers opposite the Kingfisher Hide were a lemony treat this morning, it was formerly a winter visitor but is now a scarce passage migrant so any sightings are notable, we wait in hope of them finding the winter passerine survival crops that we've planted, perhaps they will return to the reserve once again to brighten up overcast winter days.
Kingfisher Hide
Pair of Cranes with juvenile, 32 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler and 2 Garganey feasting on the duckweed in the channel. Two Yellowhammer (scarce here) 8+ Reed Buntings + Chiffchaffs, Lesser Whitethroat and 3 Common Whitethroat in the hedge and c20 Swallows feeding over the Four Score ground wheat stubble.
Middle Point
Three Pintail (moved to TNP) 18 Knot, 14 Sanderling (12 and two singles), 12 Dunlin, 7 Redshank, Great Egret, 163 Ringed Plover mostly in flight, some of these birds moved upriver and joined 2 Ruff and 4 Avocet, viewable distantly to the North.
An Osprey flew South past at approx 1350hrs with a Grey Wagtail and Swallows and Sand Martins through.
Top New Piece
Great Egret and 2 Yellow Wagtail are with the Longhorn Cattle, 3 Spoonbill, 3 Pintail, 13 Shoveler, Shelduck, 2 Grey Heron, 10 Lapwing, 217 Teal and Green Sandpiper on the flood and fleet.
Tack Piece
An immature Spoonbill and 4 busy Spotted Redshank early morning but these birds were mobile, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe and Teal and Shoveler flock on the scrape, Yellow Wagtail among the cattle.
Rushy Hide
A non-breeding male, breeding plumage reeve and juvenile Ruff for comaprison (22+ on site at the moment), also Common and 3 Green Sandpiper, 15 Redshank, Snipe and the usual wildfowl.
South Lake
Large flocks of Black-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Greylag, Lapwing and Teal + ad Mediterranean Gull, juv Little-ringed Plover, 12 Ruff, 2 Spotted Redshank and 10 Redshank among them. Pied Wagtails, 3 Pochard, Cormorants and Tufted Ducks also present.
Car Park
A few Swifts feeding over the fields to the East this afternoon.
