Lapwings ignore the wind and rain

The majority of the wintering Lapwings have departed though one flock of 40-50 birds still seem to be in winter mode. The Top and Bottom New Piece is where all the action is, males are displaying to any female within range that may show the slightest bit of interest in them or their shallow nest scrape. Despite the rain and winds the 'New Pieces' were busy with territorial and display activity. The Zeiss and Kingfisher Hides are currently the best places to catch up with displaying birds but this will change as the season really ramps up at the end of the month and into April. Fine, still, warm and sunny mornings are best.

Although it may be related to weather conditions and they may be elsewhere on the reserve, we have seen a further reduction in Pintail, Pochard, Golden Plover and Wigeon numbers overnight, perhaps they were part of another departure wave.

Rushy Hide

80 Pintail still on the lower pond, only three female Pochard present today. A Redshank and parties of Avocet were visiting the lower pond too.

Tack Piece

500+ Wigeon, 3 White-fronted Geese, 1 Bar-headed x Snow Goose, 180 Barnacle Geese, c30 Redshank, 69 Curlew, a few Teal and c24 Shelduck on the scrape and field.

Holden Tower

80 Wigeon and Little Grebe on the Pill Box Pool. Three Cranes, 103 E. White-fronted Geese, 18 Barnacle Geese, 2 Bar-headed Geese, Peregrine and scattered pairs and parties of Canada and Greylag Geese.

Knott/Willow Hide

Still two Water Rail and a Snipe showing here (pictured)

South Lake

Still over 300 Black-tailed Godwits, the flock is commuting to other floods and fields and very scattered so there may be more on site. Avocets are very mobile today as they visit other feeding spots and potential territories. A few Snipe were around the wader scrape fringes. Again higher numbers of Common Gull were roosting on the wader scrape with the Black-headed Gulls, the 'rosy pink' Black-headed Gull was among them. A gathering of 104 Shoveler across the lake was notable.

Zeiss Hide/Kingfisher Hide

Top New Piece

26 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 160 Wigeon and small numbers of commoner ducks present. 50-60 Lapwing roosting with some territorial birds also on show.

Bottom New Piece

18 Golden Plover, 12+ Snipe and 8 Dunlin hunkered down in the cut rush. 20+ Lapwing were displaying or watching. A party of c40 Teal fed in the shallows of the flood. Single Little Egret also in the flood.

• Share this article