What a week for migrant activity! The week started off brilliantly with Monday bringing in a spoonbill, garganey, male smew and the ring-necked duck all on one pool! The entrance of the reserve was busy with visitors coming in to see these wonderful birds and it was great to have such a good view of them - but can I take a moment just to remind people not to park along the verges of the track and to use the designated car parks please.
Spoonbill - Martin Casemore
Bitterns are starting to boom just in time for our first event tomorrow! April is coming in with a bang - we have lots of activities for children on in the holidays, join in an Easter egg hunt as you go round the trail or book onto one of our all day Wild Family events! Bittern Breakfasts and Spring Migration Walks are also happening. Optics demonstrations are also happening this weekend too. Click here for more details about our events.
Going back to the birds, yesterday we had two water pipits on the reserve and lots of sedge and willow warblers have been seen around this week too. Today we've had a black-necked grebe really visible from the visitor centre, diving on Burrowes pit, with 6 more seen on New Diggings! After a week of no-show, our long-eared owl was seen again yesterday and a slavonian grebe was also seen on New Diggings.
Sedge warbler - Ben Hall
Waders are starting to make an appearance again with 6 curlew, black-tailed godwits, turnstones and ringed plovers all being seen on Burrowes pit. a pair of Mediterranean gulls were seen displaying here too.
Turnstone - Graham Parry
Over 50 linnets flew past Denge Marsh yesterday and yellowhammers were also seen which is quite an unusual sighting for this reserve.
Yellowhammer - Graham Parry
I'll finish this blog with another piece written by Andrew Norman, a volunteer:
A changeable day. Mid-squall down at Denge Marsh, three marsh harriers put on a show, two of which were carrying nesting material, which may mean interesting times ahead!
Then the sun came out and the reserve sparkled with spring colour and busy-ness everywhere; lots of small birds like chaffinches and blue tits at the feeders in the car park – the colours were amazing – and lots of spring activity, with great crested grebes showing and displaying well on Denge Marsh, as well as shelducks paired at both Denge Marsh and the ARC.
Then the squalls returned and it was time to head for the car!