First Whooper Swans
Blue skies and very mild with a brisk easterly. Tomorrow's change in the weather looks interesting as a rain front comes in from the south west, maybe some waders will be dropped in?
Two Whooper Swan flew over the reserve early afternoon. These are the first of the autumn. We normally get a few outlier Whooper in before the main influx which starts mid to late October.
Good numbers of Pink-footed Geese on the reserve with 5000+ present during the day. With the mild airflow stretching up to Iceland further big influxes look less likely until the end of next week when the winds swing round to a north-westerly and it's possible that the numbers could be high as a result. Watch this space...
Waders include 700 Lapwing, 130+ Snipe, 5 Greenshank, 10+ Ruff, 10+ Black-tailed Godwit and a Dunlin.
Raptors; 3 Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 3+ Buzzard, 2 Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
A single Barnacle Goose was seen from the Harrier Hide in the afternoon with Canada Geese.
Kingfisher(s) showing from the Ron Barker Hide.
Swallows and House Martins still active.
Willow Tit again from the Janet Kear Hide and a Nuthatch coming into the feeders there was new for the year.
