17.04 to 28.04.24 Recent Sightings & Highlights

xDarrenx

28 Apr 2024

17.04 to 28.04.24 Recent Sightings & Highlights

(scroll to end for Reserve News and Events)

Raptors

Marsh Harrier (food passing)

Buzzard

Kestrel

Sparrow Hawk

Barn Owl

Peregrine Falcon

Waders

Avocet

Red Shank

Snipe

Oyster Catcher

Dunlin

Black-tailed Godwit

Curlew

Lapwing

Passerines

Grasshopper Warbler (heard distantly)

Bearded Tit

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Yellow Wagtail

White Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

White Throat

Lesser White Throat

Whinchat

Wren

Chiff Chaff

Black Cap

Cetti’s Warbler

Tree Sparrow

Willow Warbler

Green Finch

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Blackbird

Goldfinch

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Chaffinch

Dunnock

Song Thrush

Skylark

Starling

Meadow Pipit

Reed Bunting

Hirundines

Swallow

Sand Martin

House Martin

Water Fowl

Pochard

Tufted Duck

Shoveler

Shelduck

Gadwall

Teal

Wigeon

Mallard

Grey Lag Goose (with chicks)

Pink-footed Goose (late passage)

Canada Goose

Whooper Swan (late passage)

Mute Swan

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe (unusual for Blacktoft)

Coot (with 1^st chicks of season)

Moorhen

Gulls & Water Birds

Arctic Tern

Greater Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Black Headed Gull

Common Gull

Cormorant

Herons

Spoonbill

Bittern (seen and booming)

Great White Egret

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Others

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Pheasant

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Mammals

Konik Ponies

Water Vole

Brown Hare

Grey Squirrel

Roe Deer

Reserve News & Events

We’ve just about recovered from April’s surge tides and access to the hides is back to normal – thanks to the warden team’s very hard work. In my last blog I stated (in error) that spring had finally sprung. Of course, it’s been great to see many of our spring migrants back with us, but they must have found a break in the weather to arrive back. Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martin have been darting around the lagoons. And lesser-white throats, reed warblers, white throats and blackcaps are singing merrily along the trails. Hopefully a warm spell with southerly winds will bring even more back to us in the not-too-distant future

Sadly migration has been slow progress this year. It’s been unseasonably cold and wet. Water levels in the lagoons have been difficult to control and sea levels will continue to rise into the future.

Thankfully we don’t think the recent floods have had too much of an impact on the ground nesting birds so far. Marsh Harriers are starting to pass food and bitterns continue to boom. Fingers crossed that May’s higher tides don’t flood us again. That could become a problem and impact the ground nesting birds out in the reed beds.

Because we have resident Marsh Harriers at Blacktoft and we see them all year round, they’re not necessarily the same birds. Some of them do migrate to parts of southern Europe and even as far afield as Gambia – they don’t seem to have arrived back as yet. There’s still time and the ones we do have, have been very active and showing really well, often close to the hides.

Here's a few of our favourite recent pics!