Spring is definitely in the air after that cold snap we had a couple of weeks ago, and with it comes a flurry of sightings of wildlife on the reserve.
The whole team have been really excited by the sighting of a bittern flying into the moat area on Tuesday. This is great news as bitterns are very fussy about where they spend their time, and having one of the reserve means we’re managing the land in a way that benefits this endangered bird.
The visitor centre has been a great place to spot all sorts of things over the last few days. From the feeders, visitors have seen siskins, pairs of reed bunting, redpoll, a song thrush, a great spotted woodpecker, and more long-tailed tits than you can shake a stick at! Further along the Discovery Trail, you’ll see a pair of long-tailed tits building a nest, just above the largest pond-dipping platform. Flying over Newfield Plantation near the Visitor Centre, around 60 pink foot geese honked and flapped as they flew East.
Visitors have regularly seen kingfishers at the Kingfisher Screen and from Pickup hide, and a green woodpecker seems to be making the area near the Kingfisher Screen its favourite spot as one has been seen from here a lot over the last few days.
A redhead smew (meaning the smew is either female or a juvenile male) and Mediterranean gull have been steady inhabitants of Main Bay since Monday. Little egrets have been spotted in Spoonbill Flash; up to 7 were seen on Thursday from Pickup Hide.
If you take a walk along the Riverbank Trail, you may see the goldeneye, oystercatchers, and pintails from Bob Dickens or Village Bay hide, as they were seen here in abundance on Tuesday.
Today people have seen lapwing and more oystercatchers from Pickup Hide.
As always, please come to the visitor centre and tell us what great things you’ve seen out and about on the reserve.