Well the New Year has started and it has turned out to be a bit of a wet one. Though it hasn't damped our spirits to get the year on the way with what bird or wildlife sightings we can get for 2014. So what has been about recently?
Out on the Cliffs our Fulmars are back wheeling over the sea, it is a perfect opportunity to hear their fantastic hoarse crackling call, before rowdy Kittiwakes arrive. Gannets are also making fly bys, with a small number on the cliffs visible on our live camera. If you are lucky you may see Guillemots on the cliffs, through the winter months they randomly appear on the cliffs. We suspect this behavior is an instinct to safeguard the nesting site between foraging for food. Usually one or sometimes a couple of Peregrine’s can often be seen drive bombing for Feral Pigeons which is always an amazing site to see. At the bottom of the cliffs on the rocky shore the odd Oystercatcher can also be seen milling around.
(juv. Stonechat – Image: Chyrs Mellor)
On the rest of the reserve, near to the centre a juvenile Stonechat has decided to stick around, showing well on top of the gorse bushes. We also had a Sparrowhawk with a pigeon in its talons by the back door, which added a bit of excitement that day. The picture is one of our volunteer’s efforts to get a picture on their phone. Lapwings in their 100’s can also be seen in neighboring farmer’s fields. In other news this week our warden has been hedge planting on the to extend exiting hedges and create new ones. With a bit of patients, this will be a valuable addition to the reserve and will be a excellent refuge for migratory birds.
(Sparrowhawk – Image: Sam Smales)
This weekend however, our focus will be on our Big Garden Birdwatch (25th-26th) and seeing what we get at our feeding stations. We have created a new feeding station for the occasion which is visible from the centre. The usual contenders are Pheasants and Wood Pigeons, however flocks of Greenfinchs and Goldfinchs have been seen using it. If you are new to bird watching then why not pop down to our Garden Bird ID Weekend to get hints and tips on identifying birds or to just get advice on what food to put out for the birds.