There's definitely a feeling of movement and change in the air on the reserve this week, with lots of sightings of birds we haven't seen for a while. Out in our Wildlife Garden, a juvenile great spotted woodpecker has been seen daily on the feeders, a marsh tit was showing well to 7th July and a jay was seen on the 6th and 7th. A couple of common crossbills flew over the reserve this morning, and we had two mistle thrushes in the car park on 8th July. Maybe they've all heard about the missing water on the lagoons and are anticipating our change to a woodland reserve in the future. However, the reports from one of our Volunteers of a camel and a few Tuareg on the lagoons this morning have yet to be confirmed!
Wader numbers continue to build, with 18 black-tailed godwit (most in resplendent summer plumage), 5 common sandpiper and 11 dunlin on the edge of the islands this morning. A whimbrel was seen in front of Benarth Hide on 4th July, and up to 2 greenshank were with us sporadically during the week. A little grebe was out on the lagoons on 7th July, and we're pleased to see that both great crested grebe chicks are thriving. The lowered water levels seem to be pulling in the herons and little egrets; the shallow (very shallow!) lagoon has been ringed by up to 11 little egrets, probably drawn in by the fish all concentrated together in the remaining water.
The two juvenile bearded tits from our first ever breeding pair have been putting on real displays over the last few days (picture above by Robin Sandham), finally abandoning their elusive ways. They have been roaming around the reedbed, being spotted from various hides most days, and this morning were seen from the boardwalk by a lucky few. Let's hope their parents are going to provide us with another brood of equally obliging young.