The last week here on the Sands has at last started to see a bit of much needed winter arrive with frosts and a wee flurry of snow last night that gave a light dusting across the reserve. This proper winter weather coupled with the birds, sunrises and also the night skies that have been happening recently seems to have brought a very special feel to the reserve which I can only describe as mythological, of times past when people were more connected to the land and the seasons.
An incredible sunrise over the reserve on Monday
Surprisingly though and despite the cold nights the lagoons have not frozen solid so there are still plenty of waterfowl using them with dapper looking wigeon, teal, mallard, shelduck, gadwall and shoveler all in superb plumage.
Male shoveler
And I think the females are just as lovely
Certainly with plenty of character
Male shelduck
Feeding teal
A number of greylags have returned to the area, always worth looking at just in case there are any other more unusual grey geese in with them, and the pink-feet are still regularly flying out over the reserve to feed on the arable farmland. Here are a couple of interesting neck collar sightings that Mike our Warden recorded on birds using Reads Island this week, note one of the birds was also seen at the Societies Marshside reserve showing just how different reserves can play a part in a species protection.
Greylags and lapwing with snow on the wolds
Pink-foot sightings details, note both birds were ringed in Iceland - I may have to change the PDF if it doesn't publish
8816.7433.8345.Pinkfeet sightings.pdf
Just a few waders braving the frozen ground but good numbers of lapwings this morning including a few birds with frost on their backs showing how well they insulate from the cold, there are also still snipe, the odd redshank and curlew which were feeding along the river edge which was unfrozen as the tide fell away today.
Lapwings with a frosty back
And those in the sunshine
Wigeon on Xerox
Snipe on/in ice!
But good to be able to report that Reads Island has had some incredible counts of at least 35,000 waders using its surrounding mudflats recently including an excellent count of 7000 dunlin, 240 curlew, 10,000 lapwing and 17,000 golden plover!
There are still up to 21 marsh harriers using the roost on some evenings along with regular sightings of merlin and occasionally barn owl. Buzzards seem to be present most of the time with also regular sightings of peregrine and sparrowhawk.
Buzzard
Small birds are still also well represented with stonechats braving the cold and the odd water pipit still on site, bearded tits were calling from the edges of the lagoon this morning so keep an eye on the reed edge for them. Not so many winter thrushes at the moment but there is the odd fieldfare, song thrush and some lovely blackbirds picking off the last berries.
Stonechats on Ousefleet - male and female
A hungry adult male blackbird
Last Friday there was a 'normal' collybita chiffchaff photographed on the reserve while there is at least one bullfinch around, while at the feeders there are greenfinch, tree sparrows and hungry goldfinch. The cettis warblers are quite quiet though as they seem busy feeding with this cold weather rather than singing.
Greenfinch, goldfinch and tree sparrow
Nice to have a bit of an update from our neighbours on the Stoat saga and a couple of photo's I've been sent showing how birds can make good use of the kills from other predators!
Stoat with another rabbit
And a marsh harrier taking advantage of the carrion alongside a couple of cheeky crows
On the reserve there are still regular sightings of roe deer, fox, stoat and hare.
I'll finish with a few photo's of the heavens and reserve from the last week to give you a bit more of a feel for what I've been trying to convey.
Mayflower - I bet you didn't expect that! It seems many of the hawthorns are seriously out of season
Xerox lagoon this morning with a light dusting of snow
This mornings moon
And just what the meadow doctor ordered - this freeze and snow will do Horseshoe meadow the world of good especially the wild flowers
The koniks enjoying the cold
Iced hawthorn berries
Monday mornings blood red wolf moon eclipse
And a final image of the snow - brief as it was...............
at last it seems the hen harriers have returned with a male on Friday and seen near the reserve today and then a ringtail in to roost tonight