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Winter's last days
A chilly grey morning, but with temperatures set to hit the mid-teens in the coming weeks, the last of our winter wildlife is getting ready to go
It was a chilly grey morning, with a bit of drizzle for good measure. Temperatures are set to hit the mid-teens in the coming weeks, and the last of our winter wildlife are getting ready to go. This morning a few small flocks of Wigeon were noted including the leucistic bird in the photo above, and now only seven Pintail remain.
Signs of spring came in the form of a Little Ringed Plover on the Rushy, and many of our resident birds in full song, joined by the first few Chiffchaff around the reserve. It is hard to get a handle on the number of Avocet on the reserve at present as the birds are now becoming very mobile moving back and forth between the Top New Piece, South Lake, Rushy and Dumbles as they decide where to nest, but at least 100 adults are present still.
Estuary Tower
Star bird this morning was a Merlin sat on the cross fence at Middle Point. A flock of 43 Tufted Duck were on the Long Ground Pool this morning along with three Wigeon and two drake Gadwall. Two Great Egret flew over heading south, calling, before then heading out towards the estuary. Out on the mudflats were 43 Curlew, 169 Shelduck and two Great Black-backed Gulls. On the Dumbles were a further 16 Curlew, 127 Barnacle Geese plus the Ross's Goose and Snow Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, and closer to the hide on the scrape were 29 Avocet, eight Shoveler and 116 Wigeon. A Raven and a Peregrine were sat on the riverbank.
Decoy Hide
A total of 26 Shelduck were on the pond this morning with 22 Tufted Duck.
Stephen Kirk Hide
The leucistic Wigeon was showing well this morning (photo above), with a count of 270 Wigeon across Tack Piece as a whole. Also on the scrape were six Avocet, three Snow Geese, 18 Shoveler and a Redshank. A single Oystercatcher was on the grass towards the Martin Smith Hide.
South Lake
A total of 60 Avocet were on the scrape with eight Black-tailed Godwit, 25 Shoveler and three Oystercatcher. Two female Goldeneye were on the deep lake plus a Great Crested Grebe, a female Pochard, 25 Tufted Duck and six Cormorant.
Rushy Hide
A Little Ringed Plover was on upper pond island this morning but later moved off, possibly towards the South Lake. A drake Mandarin was showing well from the hide and on the lower pond were 14 Avocet. Only seven Pintail remain on the Rushy.
