Sightings and news to the week ending 12 January 2025
97 species of bird noted in our recording area since New Year's Day
9 January
Very cold conditions, another frozen scene with unfrozen stretches on the Rushy top pond, centre of the Tack Piece and South Lake deep lake.
Tack Piece
53 Bewick's Swan, the Whooper Swan, 14 Cranes, 26 Ruff and 29 Black-tailed Godwit at dawn.
South Lake
Really busy with ducks on the deep lake, most species present in good numbers. The juvenile Spoonbill continues with 5 Black-tailed Godwit among the Lapwing flock.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Lots of wildfowl and waders around the largely unfrozen top pond.
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8 January
We took a catch of wildfowl in the morning using the Swan trap in the Rushy, the aim to continue our scientific conservation work and check the health of a sample of birds.
Among them was only the second ever Whooper Swan ringed here, ten Bewick's Swans, 2 drake Pochard, 17 Shelduck, 17 Tufted Duck, 6 Pintail, 25 Mallard, 9 Greylag and 4 Canada Geese.
The Whooper Swan is now ringed and carrying a darvic that reads ASS.
Highlights
The drake Green-winged Teal was again seen on the Top New Piece. The Russian White-fronted Geese fed in the Tin Shed Ground and Bottom New Piece so Van de Bovenkamp Hide was best.
Top New Piece
200 Dunlin, 150 Lapwing, Great Egret, c300 Teal, 1 Buzzard.
Kingfisher Hide
Single Great spotted woodpecker, 1 Water Rail, 2 Little Grebe, 21 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, flock of Long-tailed tit on the feeders and a Roe Deer.
South Lake
Single Spoonbill, 300 Lapwing, 77 Pochard, 59 Shoveler, 37 Tufted Duck, 2 Pintail, Cattle Egret, 75 Teal, 2 Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit.
Grounds
Kingfisher in the matrix.
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7 January
Kingfisher Hide
15 Russian White-fronted Geese with the Greylags Geese on the Four Score. Kingfisher and Water Rail in the cut reed sections of the reed beds, Little Grebe, Shoveler and Gadwall along the channel.
South Lake
Spoonbill and 15 Avocets, GC Grebe, flocks of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Shovelers, Greylags.
Rushy Hide/Peng Obs
Whooper Swan with 65 Bewick's Swans but birds now moving out to the fields.
Tack Piece- Little Stint and 84 Black-tailed Godwit among the Ruff, Redshank, Curlew, Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin
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6 January 2025
South Lake
The juvenile Spoonbill resting on the deep lake islands and 7 Avocets have returned to the wader scrape.
Estuary Tower
Peregrine on the cross fence to south.
Pill Box Pool
32 Wigeon.
Long Ground Pool
6 Wigeon, 49 Shoveler, Cormorant, Tufted Duck and Pochard.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Whooper Swan among the 65 Bewick's Swans but the flock are fairly mobile, Dumbles and Tack Piece holding changing numbers of birds through the morning .
Grounds
At least 7 Siskin with Goldfinches near the Sanderson Bridge but roaming.
Top New Piece- drake Green-winged Teal feeding on the southern island + 150 Teal, 60 Wigeon
