If you pay any attention to facebook or twitter you'll already know we've had several sightings of a great grey shrike down at Lin Dike hide today - SUCH a beautiful bird if you manage to catch a glimpse of it and well worth a look!
There have been a pleasing number of things seen over the last few days at the reserve and definitely a sign that summer is out and winter is fast approaching with birds on the move! Shedloads of siskin and redpoll seen over the last few days; mostly along the riverbank trail and from the kingfisher screen in flocks reaching the 300 mark. Redwing and fieldfares have also been seen around Pickup hide and the boardwalks. Kingfisher has been spotted by Cut Lane, and a bar-tailed godwit has been seen fairly consistently at the Phaloarope Pool area down between the visitor centre and Lin Dike along Newton Lane.
Birds of prey have also been about, including regular sightings of kestrel, hobby and marsh harrier over the last few days and great crested grebes have been seen down towards cut lane. A weasel at Pickup hide and 3 roe deer near Cedric's Flash. Also, my all-time favourite birds (and the first birds I correctly identified as a newly converted birdwatcher!)...long-tailed tits at the visitor centre feeders.
There has also been an unconfirmed sighting of a red necked grebe but we don't know where it was seen or who saw it to be able to know for sure. If you do see something interesting please write it in the sightings book but if you do, please please please make sure you write the location and if it's something unusual put a way for us to contact you to be able to get more info on what you've seen. Thanks!