Bird News
A damp cold overcast day. Plenty of birds of course just getting on with it. No specific counts but 1000+ Whooper Swan roosting on the reserve with good numbers present throughout the day.
Green-winged Teal on Vinson's Marsh around 12pm. It's regularly seen near a small overflow pipe on the right hand side of the water.
Janet Kear Hide busy with activity including territorial drumming from Great-spotted Woodpecker male which initiated some aerial jousting from another male, no surprise as a female was also present. Other noteworthy birds included male Brambling and Siskin.
Two Peregrine, 3+ Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
We also have a returning gull which offers the viewer some identification headaches (or does it?). Is it a pale mantled Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult) or a Yellow-legged Gull? Last year we sent assorted photographs showing all the relevant features to some expert 'gullers' who were somewhat non-committal but aired on the side of LBBG. Last year the bird hung around for months, paired to a LBBG.
