Osprey & Garganey

The other week, a drake Garganey in eclipse (moult) was seen on the Folly pond by our guide in the hide Fiona. It was spotted again the following day but seems to have moved elsewhere since.

The Garganey is a small dabbling duck, slightly larger than a Teal. They spend the winter in central Africa, with small numbers appearing in the UK between March and October. Breeding pairs favour shallow wetlands, mostly in south and central England. They can be very secretive, preferring areas with lots of cover from aquatic plants. Unlike Teal, Garganey rarely upend completely when feeding, preferring just to dip their head or skim the surface with their bill.
Males are unmistakable in their breeding plumage, with a brown head and breast, grey flanks and a broad white crescent above the eye. Females are mostly brown, resembling a female Teal, but with a longer, all-grey bill and bolder facial markings.
Around 100 pairs of Garganey breed in the UK, mostly in central, southern and eastern England. During migration they can turn up almost anywhere. Occasional birds winter in the UK.
The breeding call of a male Garganey is a strange, croaking rattle - it sounds a little like running a fingernail across the teeth of a comb!

Garganey pair by Nick Brooks (Not taken on site)

In addition to this, there has been an Osprey pair sighted by our reserve team flying over the Lochar and Powhillon. More recently, they have been visible from our centre. They're nesting close to the reserve and fish on the Lochar water or out in the estuary and then fly back inland to feed their young. The best places to see them would likely be from our Walk on the wildside meadow trail or Avenue tower.

Red kites have also made some appearances on several occasions, right above the entrance to the visitor centre.

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