That red-headed smew is still causing havoc, especially now she has a partner in crime. The drake was first seen on Sunday 8th and since then the trixy pair have been up and down the reserve. They have been switching between Main Bay and Village bay a few times a day, with occasional jaunts down to the Cut and Lin Dike.
Male and female smew, Mike Langman (rspb-images.com)
The other big excitement this week has been nuthatch. Up until a few years ago nuthatch were extremely rare at Fairburn but in the past two or three years they have become more commonplace. There has been a sighting nearly every day this week, mainly on feeding stations around the visitor centre, but also down at Pick-up Hide. It is very exciting and if you see one on you visit please do let us know.
Other notable sightings include raven, one seen over the visitor centre on Friday, and another over Main Bay on Saturday. There have also been two bittern sightings, over the Moat on Thursday and again on Saturday, although the exact location isn’t clear.
Nuthatch, John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
There was quite a stir on Sunday with what were at first thought to be two long-eared owls spotted roosting in the trees near Village Bay Viewpoint, although other reports claim they were tawny owls. It’s still not entirely clear what the final verdict was but it was a lovely sight for visitors on the day!