After a hot and dry summer with little rainfall, the last two months have been considerably wet, allowing us to put some much needed water back into the lagoons. With the water levels steadily rising, the numbers and variety of wildfowl has also increased.
Long-tailed ducks have been a particular highlight since around mid-October, with one bird present from 13/10 and a second bird joining since 7/11 (photo by Mike Spence). Records of this species here are few and far between with a bird in November 2018 being the only one confirmed, and a previous reliable sighting having gone unrecorded. A female scaup has also been present since 8/11, a species which usually makes an appearance during most winters, while pintail were present again with three birds from 28/10 to 31/10 and another two on 7/11. Goosander and red-breasted merganser have both been present throughout in small numbers along with two pochard, while shoveler have seen a recent increase in number to 21 on 11/11 when 42 gadwall were also recorded. Little grebe have also been present in very good numbers with a maximum count of 43 on 15/10.
It’s also been a great few weeks for other bird records on the reserve. A Lapland bunting on 15/10 was the first recorded here, seen and heard flying over with flocks of skylark. A Siberian chiffchaff (usually considered a subspecies of the common chiffchaff) on 2/11 was also a good record, while the much anticipated firecrest made its first appearance on 20/10 with numerous further sightings since including two birds on 2/11. An arctic tern was present from 29/10 to 1/11, then made a reappearance from 6/11 to 7/11, not a bird regularly seen here and rather surprising this late in the year. Meanwhile great white egrets were regular again, mostly seen on the estuary with up to four birds present and sightings on 14 dates over the past month.
Wader highlights included spotted redshank recorded on seven dates with up to two birds present, and a jack snipe seen regularly between 28/10 and 2/11. Other notable species included a whimbrel on 25/10 and occasional greenshank, knot, and bar-tailed godwit.
Other sightings of interest have included chough over the reserve on five dates including groups of up to six birds, at least 30 siskin on 28/10, a red kite on 30/10, and a lesser redpoll over on 3/11. Kingfisher were also seen on six dates along with regular water rail, while at least two Cetti’s warbler continue to be present and goldcrests have been numerous, often feeding with the long-tailed tit flocks.
A few insects are just about hanging on at the end of the season with dragonflies including southern hawker up to 26/10, migrant hawker up to 6/11 and common darter up to 9/11. A red admiral butterfly was also seen on 26/10 and large wainscot moths, one of our reedbed species were recorded on 28/10 and 7/11.