October always seems to be a great time here at Blacktoft to see kingfisher particularly along the lagoon feeder ditch that runs in front of the hides. The team have put a few extra perches up for its use especially in front of reception hide where even on windy rainy days birds can get out of the poor conditions and fish right in front you. The last couple of days certainly haven't disappointed with what I suspect is a young female (colour on the lower mandible and also black on the top of the feet) really putting on some top viewing of what must be one species that everyone just loves to see.
This morning she was just so close!
There's certainly a nice mix of species about on site at the moment as water levels gradually rise but still give good habitat for both ducks and waders and then all the birds of prey that like to eat them!
Certainly waders seem to be having a bit of a resurgence at the moment with 16 spotted redshank today and 50 ruff, also 23 redshank, and yesterday 56 black-tailed godwits. Also around has been the odd dunlin and ringed plover, plenty of golden plover and lapwing and the usual curlew along the river. Although the jack snipe on Xerox hasn't been seen recently one was flushed today out on the reserve along with a few snipe, so its still worth checking the edges of the lagoons.
Ruff, spotted redshank, black-tailed godwit, redshank and dunlin on Singleton yesterday.
Just ruff from today
The spotted redshank were good value today on Marshland
This little egret was feeding nearby
Birds of prey have also been pretty good value with regular hen harrier in to roost, merlin, plenty of marsh harriers, regular peregrine buzzards, sparrowhawk and kestrels. The hen harrier (possibly two birds) are best seen at roost time but you may be lucky and see them in the day.
This male merlin is a real little terror, rising from its perch here it flew high into the sky and took one of the irrupting bearded tits!
With a nice splash of water across the site now there are still up to 1200 teal, a few wigeon, shoveler and gadwall but it seem like the pintail have found somewhere else to feed for the moment, but scan the duck flocks carefully as they may suddenly return. Plenty of pink-footed geese still flying over the reserve but it was particularly nice to find 84 birds having a wash and brush up on Singleton lagoon yesterday.
Teal on Ousefleet being disturbed by a marsh harrier
Pintail from earlier in the week
Pink-feet on Singleton lagoon
On my last blog I was speculating what the weather was like further North and into Siberia, well here's a picture from my partners father Mikhail in Eastern Siberia, its been snowing for two days!
Also some great news on our resident mute swan Fred (who's over 20 years old now!) who because of the low water levels has been absent for some time. Well after loosing his mate this year I was concerned about his future considering his age and all that, but yesterday it was great to see him on the nearby Adlingfleet drain with a new mate!
You can just see Freds distinctive red colour ring.
With the weather being a bit up and down the visible migration has mirrored this, yesterday there was 70+ redwing and a few finches including a flock of 19 chaffinch west, a few yellowhammers, plenty of skylarks too and a few rock pipits. Today there was a little less but another 5 fieldfare was notable.
Redwings flying in yesterday
There has been a nice mix of other species too with swallow today, brambling yesterday, a few chiffchaffs, also a single mistle thrush and at least three stonechats.
Stonechat
Yesterday the volunteer team were hard at work in Horseshoe meadow raking of the cuttings after the field had been mowed, unformally known as the Great British Rake Off! The field was cut rather than grazed due to logistical issues with grazing livestock on this area over a long period, but it will serve the same purpose by removing excess grass growth after haying and help control the more dominant species of grass and plant. Autumn mowing will help toward re-setting the balance for next years wildflowers, raking off the cuttings just helps remove a few more nutrients and lower all the years of fertilizer that was spread on the wheat so that the plant and grass growth will be slower and more balanced.
We're now looking forward to next springs show of wildflowers which should be fantastic with a bit of luck!
The meadow being mown
Afterwards
And being raked over yesterday
And Finally I'll finish with a picture of the recently de-silted Ousefleet lagoon which was part of the VIRIDOR healthy wetland project, fantastic to see it now attaining its true winter water levels.