Sightings and news to week ending 23 February
An ongoing record of what's been seen around the reserve.
Tuesday 18 February
Estuary Tower
There was one Little Stint on right hand side of the scrape
Robbie Garnett Hide
Mid-afternoon an Adult Spoonbill joined the long staying juvenile we have had on site and they fed together out on the Tack piece. Also, in the afternoon there were 110 White-fronted Geese, 8 cranes (all but 1 unringed, including 2 juveniles) and 18 ruff.
Kingfisher Hide
The feeders were busy with a variety of birds including a male Siskin.
Rushy Lake
At first light there were 72 Bewick's, 2 Whooper swans and a Great white Egret flew over.
Discovery Hide
In the morning there were 17 Avocet, 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Common Gull among a flock of Black-headed gull, a large mixed flock of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin that were flushed by a Peregrine. The Juvenile Spoonbill was also there with 51 Pochard, 1 Grey Heron and 20 Shelduck.
Martin Smith Hide
In front of Martin Smith there were 4 Snipe, 3 Lapwing, 32 Wigeon, 24 Teal, 6 Shoveler and 1 Crane flew overhead.
Monday 17 February
Rushy Lake
71 Bewick's swan and 2 Whooper swans still present this morning.
Tack Piece
In the afternoon there were124 White-fronted geese and 11 Cranes on the Tack Piece. There were also 3 Marsh Harrier seen further North over the reserve.
Estuary Tower
The Spoonbill was visible from the tower in front of the Robbie Garnett Hide and the Little Stint was visible on the main Scrape for most of the day.
Zeiss Hide
From the Zeiss Hide there were 95 Wigeon, 25 Teal, 78 Shelduck, a pair of Oyster catcher and a singing Reed Bunting.
South Lake
On the Wader scrape there were 400 Lapwing including a leucistic individual, 150 Dunlin, 19 Avocet and 2 Black-tailed Godwit. There was also a pair of Oystercatcher and 150 Common Gull too.
Grounds
In the Spinney near Zeiss Hide there was a Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming. Also, a mobile flock of Siskin, Goldfinch, Redpoll and a Tree Creeper were encountered in the Alder trees before the Hogarth Hide bridge.
South Finger/Kingfisher Hide
Down the South Finger walkway there was a Hare resting on the bank. And then at the Kingfisher Hide there was another Great-spotted Woodpecker, 3 Roe deer, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kingfisher, Stonechat, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Kestrel and 12 Gadwall. The feeders were busy too with Greenfinch, Siskin and Coal Tit.
