Sighting Highlights 28/03 to 04/04/23

(scroll to end for Reserve News & Events)

Raptors

Red kite

Peregrine falcon

Marsh harrier

Buzzard

Kestrel

Barn owl

Water Fowl

Garganey

Russian white fronted goose

Pink footed goose (30+ flying north)

Pintail

Whooper swan (fields and flying through)

Mute swan

Canada goose

Greylag goose

Golden eye

Shelduck

Wigeon

Shoveler

Teal

Gadwall

Mallard

Tufted duck

Waders

Bittern (seen & booming…

**The flood waters have partially subsided enough to open the majority of the reserve. Pathways to First Hide, Townend Hide and Singleton Hide are clear as is the trail to Ousefleet Hide.**

Recent sightings of 2x bittern, marsh harrier, russian white fronted geese, pink-footed geese, 21 x avocet, 184 black-tailed godwits, ring plover and goosander!

The trail to Reedling and Marshland hides remains under a considerable…

**Please note that the reserve is still closed today Mon 27th March as the paths are still flooded. However by tomorrow with the high tide cycle gone we should be able to open 50% of the paths (First Hide to Singleton and then Ousefleet hide). We do need to repair some of the paths so please be patient, we will update later today when we are in a better position with the water levels.**

Sightings Highlights 09/03 to 16/03/23

(scroll to end for Reserve News & Events)

Raptors

Hen harrier (ringtail)

Short eared owl

Barn owl

Marsh harrier

Peregrine falcon

Sparrow hawk

Kestrel

Water Fowl

Russian white fronted goose

Pink footed goose

Black swan

Whooper swan

Golden eye

Mute swan

Wigeon

Teal

Gadwall

Tufted duck

Mallard

Shelduck

Shoveler

Canada goose

Greylag goose

Little grebe

Moorhen

Coot

Waders

Bitter…

Sightings Highlights W/C 27/02/23

(scroll to end for Reserve News & Events)

Raptors

Hen harrier (ringtail)

Short eared owl

Merlin

Barn owl

Marsh harrier

Buzzard

Kestrel

Sparrowhawk

Water Fowl

Whooper swan

Russian white fronted goose

Golden eye

Canada goose

Grey lag goose

Shelduck

Wigeon

Teal

Gadwall

Mallard

Shoveler

Pochard

Tufted duck

Coot

Moorhen

Little grebe (nest building)

Waders

Bittern (seen and heard booming…

Sighting Highlights W/C 13.02.23

(scroll to end for Reserve News & Events)

Raptors

Marsh harrier

Barn owl

Peregrine falcon

Kestrel

Sparrowhawk

Red kite (over Ouse)

Water Fowl

Russian white fronted goose (fields off reserve)

Whooper swan (fields off reserve)

Black swan (fields off reserve)

Barnacle goose

Pink footed goose

Golden eye

Pochard

Tufted duck

Wigeon

Teal

Shoveler

Shelduck

Gadwall

Mallard

Canada goose

Greylag…

Raptors

Hen harrier

Marsh harrier

Barn owl

Buzzard

Kestrel

Sparrowhawk

Water Fowl

Russian white fronted goose

Whooper swan (nearby fields)

Mute swan

Canada goose

Greylag goose

Pochard

Tufted duck

Shelduck

Wigeon

Teal

Shoveler

Mallard

Gadwall

Coot

Moorhen

Waders

Bittern

Curlew

Redshank

Ruff

Lapwing

Dunlin

Snipe

Golden plover (over estuary)

Water rail

Passerines

Kingfisher

Tree sparrow

Gold crest

Cetti’s warbler…

Raptors

Barn owl

Marsh harrier

Peregrine

Merlin

Buzzard

Red kite (passing over)

Sparrowhawk

Kestrel

Water Fowl

Whooper swan

Mute swan

Pochard

Tufted duck

Shelduck

Wigeon

Teal

Mallard

Gadwall

Shoveler

Coot

Moorhen

Canada goose

Greylag goose

Pink footed goose

Waders

Black tailed godwit

Redshank

Dunlin

Little egret

Curlew

Snipe

Lapwing

Passerines

Tree Sparrow

Gold crest

Redwing

Fieldfare

Green finch

Goldfinch

Stonechat

Raptors

Hen Harrier

Marsh Harrier

Barn Owl

Sparrow Hawk

Buzzard

Merlin

Kestrel

Water Fowl

Wigeon

Teal

Shoveler

Gadwall

Mallard

Shelduck

Tufted duck

Pink Footed goose (flying over)

Grey lag goose

Canada goose

Whooper swan (in fields to left of reserve)

Mute swan

Moorhen

Waders

Curlew

Redshank

Dunlin

Lapwing

Water rail

Snipe

Passerines

Kingfisher

Stonechat

Reed Bunting

Chiffchaff

Tree sparrow

Fieldfare

Blue tit

Great t…

Raptors

Marsh Harrier

Barn Owl

Merlin

Tawny Owl

Buzzard

Kestrel

Sparrow hawk

Water Fowl

 Wigeon

Teal

Canada goose

Grey lag goose

Pink footed Goose (flying over)

Gadwall

Shoveler

Moorhen

Mute Swan

Waders

Curlew

Snipe

Black-tailed godwits

Dunlin

Water rail

Passerines

Bullfinch

Tree sparrow

Fieldfare

Starling

Blackbird

Reed bunting

Great tit

Blue tit

Long-tailed tit

Gold finch

Wren

Robin

Chiff chaff

Cetti’s warbler (singing…

Raptors

Marsh harrier

Hen harrier (regular sightings)

Barn owl

Kestrel

Buzzard

Merlin

Sparrowhawk

Red kite (over Singleton hide 16.01.23)

Waterfowl

Wigeon

Teal

Gadwall

Mallard

Tufted duck

Shelduck

Shoveler

Canada goose

Greylag goose

Pink footed goose (flying over/estuary)

Mute Swan

Little grebe

Moorhen

Whooper swans in area

Waders

Lapwing

Curlew

Snipe

Dunlin

Black tailed godwit

Water rail

Little egret

Passerines

Fiel…

50 Wild Years at Blacktoft

Happy New Year to everyone from all the team here at Blacktoft and we hope you had a brilliant Christmas.

It’s an auspicious year for RSPB Blacktoft Sands and the Humber. It’s 50 years since the RSPB began managing the habitat at the head of the Humber. It’s way back in the misty marshes of 1973 that our first nesting pair of marsh harriers were discovered by local birders (anecdotally rumoured…

The Frozen East … Winter Bites & Xmas Opening

(Christmas Opening plan at end)

At last the temperatures have dropped and winter is truly upon us. At the time of writing the lagoons are frozen over but at least the freezing fog has lifted, no sign of snow in this area yet though.

All that said it does make for an atmospheric time at Blacktoft and you never quite know what might appear from the gloom.

Pete managed…

A Day in the Life

The RSPB has always been a volunteer led organisation, from it’s very beginnings. We couldn’t do the work we do without the support of the dedicated volunteers throughout the RSPB but especially here at Blacktoft. We’re really lucky to have the best volunteers in the organisation (OK I’m a bit biased here) but they are fantastic!

So, before I delve into what’s happening at the…

The Winds of Change

At last the northerly winds blowing warm air up from the continent appears to have changed, and cooler temperatures have moved in. And so the winter birds have started arriving on the upper Humber and the low disturbance refuge sites of Blacktoft, Whitton Island and Reads Island. Site Manager Pete’s recent survey threw up some impressive combined counts:

8000 golden plover

4540 teal

4700 du…

Small is Beautiful

It’s roost time again. That means some of our larger feathered friends will be swirling around the skies later in the afternoons but more about them later.

This time of year is fantastic to spot some of our smaller gems. Some are here all year round, others are passing through on their way to their warmer winter grounds.

Most people head straight for the lagoons here, but there’s abundant wildlife…

Perky Numbers of Pinky’s

Welcome to the first blog of Autumn (now that it’s officially started) and a welcome return to skeins of pink footed geese honking their way around the Humber in their classic ‘V’ formation. It’s a real spectacle to behold.

They are best viewed in the morning as they head towards their grazing grounds, often the arable fields close to the reserve.

Pink footed geese…

September Rain Dance

So here we are, meteorological autumn (which started Sept 1^st) according to the met office. When it comes to water, times are hard!

Whilst the warden team continue to work hard to keep water on marshland, townend and ousefleet lagoons else where on the reserve it remains very dry. It’s been the joint warmest summer on record, 4 of the last 5 warmest years occurring since 2003, and the driest year…

The Faintest Sniff of Autumn

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly mown wet grass to stir the soul as far as I’m concerned. While it hasn’t rained that much it has certainly refreshed the air and the greenery.

It’s certainly revived Horseshoe Meadow somewhat. It was great to see a kestrel hunting over it yesterday. As ever I didn’t have a camera to hand to capture it but it brought back mental images…

Amazing August Continues

Welcome to the latest update from RSPB Blacktoft Sands as we drift into mid August.

It’s definitely been a hot one so far, not just the weather!

There’s been plenty to see at Blacktoft over the last week or so, so let’s dive straight in!

Here’s the highlights:

First off let’s start with a pectoral sandpiper.

It’s the smaller bird at the edge of the island next to…

Back at Blacktoft

It seems I must start this blog as I have others with an apology for the lack of writing here. I’ve been away with some long term health issues which are now, thankfully, resolved. I’ll be bringing updates on what’s happening at Blacktoft and around the Humber on a much more regular basis in future.

So let’s not hang around!

Passage waders have been starring at the reserve this…

Back in March, you may have seen mention of the RSPB purchasing land to expand Blacktoft Sands reserve. We look forward to visitors being able to see this area in time, but we need to do some work before it’s possible to do that safely and without disturbing wildlife. However, we’d like to tell you a bit more about it and have asked the previous owners, Andrew and Jiggy, to write a guest blog.

Island Farm…

As the nights draw in and winter looms it’s perhaps one of my favourite times of the year around the Humber.

It’s always great to see skeins of pink footed geese over head – especially first thing in the morning. It always puts a smile on my face. A recent wetland bird count at Reads Island threw up a record 27500 of them.

Clouds of pink footed geese from Island Farm (Pic:- Pete Short)

It is truly a…

What an amazing couple of weeks here at Blacktoft, around the Humber and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

I know it’s been a little while since our last blog. But then our small but dedicated team of staff and volunteers have been very busy looking after approaching 4000 visitors.

Of course the vast majority of those have come to see what is this years star bird, Larry the White Tailed Lapwing. It’s presence has been…

Firstly apologies !

It's been a fabulous time at Blacktoft over the last week and we've been brilliantly busy. Assistant Warden Stuart discovered an absolutely gorgeous White Tailed Lapwing early Thursday morning last week and it's still showing really well. Well done Stu amazing work. He'll definitely be dining out on this anecdote for many years to come!

This is the first time it's been recorded in Yorkshire…