And we've done it again! Once more we've added another new species to the Frampton bird list, courtesy of our sharp eyed conservation intern Georgie. While undertaking one of the 4 wintering passerine transects out on the Frampton saltmarsh, Georgie picked up a hooded crow heading inland. Unfortunately it didn't drop down and only our assistant warden Simon was the other lucky observer. It was a pretty productive survey with good numbers of rock pipit, meadow pipit and skylark out feeding on the marsh and in the creeks. Highlights included a cracking male hen harrier, stonechat, a covey of grey partridge and 55 fieldfare, our first big flock of the year.
The only other passerines of note were seen on Sunday with at least one lapland bunting on the scrapes and a swallow heading south. Could this be the last one we see this year or will we get a November bird?
Fieldfare - Neil Smith
Quick STOP PRESS wader news - late this morning (Friday 1st) a white-rumped sandpiper was found on the scrapes (possibly the same bird seen at Gibraltar Point in mid-October?) There's a chance that this bird was around first thing as a small wader with a white supercilium was seen at distance and left unidentified. At time of publishing the bird was last seen at 13:50 on the Roads Farm wet grassland.
Returning to more longer staying waders and we've had wood sandpiper, little stint, curlew sandpiper and 14+ avocet around all week with a jack snipe from the 360 hide on Saturday. Plover numbers continue to increase with good numbers of lapwing and golden plover feeding on the wet grassland. The ruff count hovers between 40 and 50 while snipe numbers have risen to well over 50 in the last few days. The/a pectoral sandpiper put in a customary appearance on the afternoon of the 25th.
With the tides now on the up it's worth checking the upcoming weeks times and heading over to Freiston as we have a good run of high tides which should see large numbers of knot, oystercatcher and redshank, among others, gathering on the lagoon.
Knot - Neil Smith
I always think of November as THE month for wildlfowl with geese, swans and ducks all becoming more and more numerous and, in the case of ducks, more and more splendid. The drakes will all be coming to the end of their moult so look pristine with immaculate new feathers. Male wigeon, teal, shoveler and pintail become much easier to find out on the scrapes and wet grassland.
Some wildfowl aren't quite as intricate as drake ducks but are still just as awesome and whooper swans fall slap bang in the middle of this category. It's always a good day when you see whoopers so the 29th and 30th were both great days indeed with 4 and 7 seen respectively. As our grassland wets up we can hope to retain a few of these throughout the winter, time will tell.
Whooper Swan - Ian Ellis
Whooper swans - Neil Smith
The more you're out the more you see - https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder