What a fickle bunch we birders are. One week the white-rumped sandpiper gets top billing and all the attention, the next (i.e. this one) it gets relegated to third place on the highlight reel, though technically it does get first mention so it shouldn't be too upset.
So what was this weeks headline bird? A fourth for the UK? An American vagrant? A Mediterranean wanderer? Or a scarce but regular visitor to the east coast? Yep, that's right the gorgeous but humble shorelark made it's first appearance on the Lincolnshire Wash Reserves list, though frustratingly it was just a fly through. An unusual call gave it's presence away on the 18th, as it flicked over the sea wall and flew across the scrapes and away over Marsh Farm :( Fortunately there have been some recent reports further north in the county and they are also annual at Gibraltar Point so if you do want to go and see them you needn't wait for a fly over.
Taking second place in this weeks highlights was an out of season whimbrel on the 19th and, like the white-rumped sandpiper (that was last seen on the same day), was the only one of its kind reported in the country!
The wet grassland is starting to pull in the crowds with fantastic mixed groups of brent geese, wigeon teal, mallard, black-tailed godwit, lapwing, golden plover, curlew and redshank all feeding together and often very close to the road, proving to be very photogenic first thing on a crisp winter morning.
The huuuuuge young female peregrine has been around again this week looking for a straggler to snack on and both hen harrier (ringtail) and merlin were seen from Cut End on the morning of the 21st.
Peregrine - Neil Smith
Along with the wildfowl being seen on the wet grassland, there was a new face on the scrapes this week with a goldeneye diving outside East Hide on Tuesday morning. Though new onto the main reserve, goldenye numbers have been building around the mouth of the Witham over the week with 18 there on the 20th. Also seen from Tabb's Head this week were 3 red-necked grebes (20th), slavonian grebe (20th) and 3 whooper swans (19th).
Red-necked grebe - Ian Ellis
Like the wet grassland at Frampton, the habitats at Freiston are also full to bursting. Thousands of wigeon and brent geese can be seen on the lagoon, saltmarsh and wet grassland, feasting and bathing to their heart's content. Waders continue to roost at high tide with hundreds of dunlin, knot and oystercatcher, peppered with grey plover and bar-tailed godwit, waiting out the tide, providing a visual treat as they arrive and depart.
Bar-tailed godwit - Neil Smith
The more you're out the more you see - https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder