Chiffchaff sing their arrival

The Folly pond has had an array of ducks this week, with the usual teal, wigeon, northern shoveler and mallards joined often by up to six pintail and shelduck. There was also the odd group of waders using the banks of the pond, such as curlew, redshank, lapwing and oystercatchers.

Elsewhere on the reserve a male and female reed bunting have been sighted multiple times. A goldcrest has been seen a couple of times and a great spotted woodpecker was seen on one of the homemade feeders in the wildlife garden. A couple of cormorants have been seen on the Whooper pond and up to four little egrets have been seen together around the site.

There have been some possible signs of spring with visitors reportedly seeing a wheatear and our warden also heard the iconic song of chiffchaff on the Peter Scott trail. This is one of our first summer migrants and it's song which sounds like it calling it's name is a splendid sign of the season.

19.3.23

Peter Scott Trail

• Water rail (1)
• Goldcrest (1)

Back Pond

• Mallard (3)
• Teal (13)
• Wigeon (2)
• Moorhen (2)
• Mute swan (1)

Paddocks

• Reed bunting (1)
• Yellowhammer (2)
• Redwing (1)

Peter Scott Observatory/Whooper pond

• Reed bunting (2)
• Cormorant
• Tufted duck (8)
• Oystercatcher (2)
• Cormorant (1)
• Teal (2)
• Moorhen (2)
• Mallard (11)
• Wigeon (4)

Folly pond

• Shelduck (6)
• Pintail (6)
• Redshank (3)
• Oystercatcher (2)
• Little egret (4)
• Whooper swan (18)
• Teal (93)
• Moorhen (2)
• Northern shoveler (42)
• Mallard (10)
• Wigeon (150)
• Lapwing (6)

Saltcot Observatory

• Kestrel (2)
• Red fox (1)
• Golden plover (approx 200)
• Stonechat (1)
• Brown hare (6)

Teal pond

• Little egret (1)
• Gadwall (2)
• Pintail (1)
• Mallard (2)
• Teal (11)
• Mute swan (2)

Floodground

• Pintail (6)
• Wigeon (74)
• Teal (80)
• Mallard (5)
• Northern shoveler (20)
• Moorhen (2)
• Oystercatcher (1)
• Black headed gull (3)

Avenue tower

• Barnacle geese (approx 3000+)
• Pink footed geese (approx 250)
• Pied wagtail (2)
• Curlew (2)

Newfield

• Pied wagtail (9)

20.3.23
Lochar field

• Barnacle geese (1000)
• Whooper swan (6)

Saltcot

• Dunlin (7)
• Golden plover (approx 60+)

Folly field

• Redshank (approx 400+)

Peter Scott Trail

• Chaffinch
• Great tit
• Tree sparrow

Peter Scott Observatory

• Tufted duck
• Mute swan
• Moorhen
• Mallard

Saltcot Observatory

• Little egret
• Mallard

Avenue Tower

• Barnacle geese (approx 1000)
• Pintail
• Wigeon
• Teal
• Whooper swan (6)
• Mallard
• Mute swan

22.3.23

Saltot

• Dunlin (7)
• Golden plover (approx 60)

Folly field

• Redshank (approx 400)

23.3.23

Folly pond

• Lapwing
• Teal
• Wigeon
• Northern Shoveler
• Mallard
• Whooper swan (3)
• Barnacle geese (14)
• Oystercatcher (2)
• Carrion crow
• Jackdaw
• Roe deer (3)
• Pheasant
• Chaffinch
• House sparrow
• Redshank (15)

Campbell hide (floodground)

• Teal
• Wigeon
• Canada geese (2)
• Cormorant (1)
• Black headed gulls

Avenue Tower

• Barnacle geese (approx 2500)
• Roe deer (5)

Saltcot Observatory

• Knot
• Curlew (12)
• Shelduck
• Lesser black backed gull
• Golden plover
• Brown hare (4)

26.3.23

Peter Scott Trail

• Chiffchaff

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