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It's Rushy week
This week the Reserve Team have started the first of the big autumn cuts out on the Rushy to get the area ready for our winter birds who will soon be arriving, not least the Bewick's Swans
This week the Reserve Team have started the first of the big autumn cuts out on the Rushy to get the area ready for our winter birds who will soon be arriving, not least the Bewick's Swans.
A big thank you to our volunteers who work hard to transform the area over the course of a few days. In the coming weeks we'll be undertaking similar work on the South Lake, Top New Piece and Tack Piece before a final return to the Rushy - keep an eye on our Twitter feed for all the latest news and sightings.
Monday's highlights
A Whinchat and Wheatear were on the fences at Middle Point, a Peregrine and 3 Kestrel were also seen along with 2 Yellow Wagtail and a Whimbrel on the mudflats with a flock of 100+ Curlew. At the Martin Smith Hide, two juvenile Shoveler were seen along with a Kingfisher and 2 Snipe.
Wednesday's highlights
Along with the usual mix and numbers of waders and wildfowl around the reserve, the hedgerow outside the Knott Hide was alive with plenty of warbler action as the sun poked through the clouds. Over a half hour window birds seen included at least 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 5 Willow Warbler and 7 Chiffchaff (including singing birds) plus a Reed Warbler and a Garden Warbler.
Friday's sightings
Kingfisher Hide
A group of 6 Cranes were seen. The hedgerows were alive with birds including Whitethroat, Blackcap, Goldfinch, Linnet and Chiffchaff.
Zeiss Hide
Birds on the Top New Piece this morning included 229 Teal, 54 Shoveler, 57 Gadwall, a single Snipe, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Redshank, 3 Ruff, a single Avocet and at least 2 headstarted juvenile Curlew.
South Lake
Birds on the wader scrape included a Green Sandpiper, 70 Redshank, 414 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Ruff, 3 juvenile Little-ringed Plover, 396 Greylag Geese, 41 Tufted Duck, an eclipse drake Wigeon, 74 Teal, 9 Cormorant, 42 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler and 30 Lapwing.
Rushy Hide
Just 2 Green Sandpiper were on the lower pond this morning along with 3 Snipe, 2 Grey Heron, 19 Lapwing, 14 Teal, 6 Shoveler and 7 Gadwall.
