Our sightings book has been filled up almost every day for the last week, there have been some great wildlife sightings on the reserve. In particular the waders, which can been seen most often down at the Lin Dike hide.
There have been a number of sightings of curlew sandpipers, from Lin Dike and at the Moat, with 5 seen at Lin Dike this morning. Ruff have also been seen in good numbers from Lin Dike, New Flash, Spoonbill Flash and Phalarope Pool. There have been several sightings of bar tailed and black tailed godwits, little stint, ringed plover, little ringed plover, greenshank, common sandpiper and green sandpiper, dunlin, little egret, yellow wagtail, garganey, whimbrel and grey heron all at Lin Dike. There were also sightings of meadow pipet, linnet and kingfisher down there.
Pickup pool has been a little quieter, but there have been sightings of teal, greenshank, blacktailed godwit, green sandpiper, willow warbler, willow tit, little owl and spotted flycatcher. There was also a sighting of 2 roe deer, bank vole and weasel around Pickup Hide.
A red crested pochard was seen from Cut Lane on sunday and monday. There have been a few swifts over the visitor centre, and large numbers of house martins down at village bay. The visitor centre feeders continue to support a large number of tree sparrows, as well as great tits, blue tits and a pair of bullfinches.
It has been another good week for birds of prey, with 9 buzzards seen over Newfield Farm last weekend, an osprey was seen flying over the reserve on saturday and monday, a female peregrine was seen over Lin Dike, plus hobby, kestrel, sparrowhawk seen both at Lin Dike and closer to the visitor centre.
The dragonfly and butterfly season is coming to an end, but there are still good numbers of speckled wood and meadow brown butterflies, with a few green veined white and common blue butterflies too. There are plenty of common darter dragonflies around, if you spend a bit of time in the Discovery Trail you should see them flying around.
If you come to Fairburn Ings don't forget to drop into the visitor centre and jot down your sightings, we love to find out what people see out on the reserve.
This photo of a blacktailed godwit was taken by Tom Bugg.