Amazing news from yesterday that for the sixth year running our amazing and faithful Montagu's harrier is back on site and showing from reception down to Singleton hide. There has been no male bird for the last two years so lets hope that 2019 bring better cheer in the form of a new mate for our lonely female. Here's a couple of photo's and a bit of video which will hopefully now be working again!
In front of the pub
Its certainly been some good late April birding too with some nice spoonbills recently livening up the lagoons alongside the avocets, marsh harriers and bitterns which have all been showing well with the male bittern just getting into his stride and booming loud!
Adult spoonbill at Ousefleet
Waders have been very entertaining too with a pair of wood sandpipers arriving last Friday, up to 16 ruff many of which are well on the way to their full breeding plumage (will they stay long enough to have their full ruffs?), up to five spotted redshank, 14 black-tailed godwit, greenshanks, whinbrel, snipe, lapwing and a pair of oystercatchers as well as 60+ avocets.
Wood sandpiper
Greenshank
Spotted redshank
Ruff 1
Ruff 2
Ruff 3 - very varied birds these ruff!
Lots of avocets
Many of the winter duck have left but there were up to 3 tardy goldeneye, that was until yesterday evening when they decided it was time to leave and flew off west, migration in action is always fantastic to witness! Also about the lagoons is a single great-crested grebe, pochard, shoveler, gadwall, tufted duck, little grebe and a growing number of little egrets.
Male goldeneye with his little harem
The male showing off
And there has been a really strange Mute swan influx this year - also you may notice there is no Fred! (Fred was resident here for 20 years)
Little egret in the morning fog - there are growing number now returning to breed along the estuary
The ring ouzel left after a two day stay but there are plenty of bearded tits now feeding around the edges of the lagoons so keep looking out for them, also the first swift of the year joining the swallows, and martins. Warblers are really busy with both reed and sedge singing well although the grasshopper warblers continue to be silent. Good numbers of whitethroats and blackcaps are around the willow coppice and the cettis are still showing well.
Last weeks ring ouzel in Video
Sedge warbler in early morning fog
Yellow wagtails have been getting better and often feeding in front of Ousefeet hide and around the ponies, plenty of tree sparrow activity and lots of resident birds showing on the mornings many of which are feeding young.
Yellow wagtail on Ousefleet
And skylark with it crest up
All in all some excellent birding! I'll finish with some leking ruff action