Something to brighten up the run of intermittent grey and wet days has been a number of sightings of red-crested pochard. A female was seen from Charlie’s hide on the 19th and 20th, after a male and female were noted on the 18th.The pair were displaced by the icy weather and were rediscovered on Parkers Pool on the 26th. The male is a stunning looking duck with a rusty-orange round head, red bill and black breast.

Red-crested pochard

Flashes

The whooper swan is still resident and seems happy moving around the flashes. Curlew are usually heard and seen around the flashes with up to thirteen recorded, around 100 lapwings were seen on the 14th as well as fifty stock doves. A great white egret made an appearance on the 15th along with a little egret, following on from the sighting of a couple of redshanks on the 14th. Also noted have been up to thirteen pintails, nine shelduck,and a barnacle goose on the 19th

Pintail - Joe Seymour

Two red kites were seen on the 14th followed by a visiting marsh harrier on the16th. Peregrines are seen quite frequently, usually perched high up on the pylons so don’t forget to look up. A single redwing was around on the 18th; most have moved elsewhere after the berry crop was dispatched. A cetti's warbler and water rail were also seen around Lin Dike on the 20th. A chiffchaff was heard on the 25th along with the sighting of 30+ lesser redpoll.

Red kite - Keith Boyer

Main Bay and Village Bay

A good spread of raptors noted over this part of the reserve with red kite, kestrel, sparrowhawk, up to five buzzards and two peregrines. Birds noted from Charlie’s hide and Cut Lane have been up to six pintail and eleven shelduck , little egret, kingfisher, fieldfare, goosander, twenty five gadwall on the 21st, two oystercatcher on the 24th, and two treecreepers on the riverbank trail. Village bay sightings have been ten pintail, seven goldeneye, eleven whooper swans on the 20th, fifteen curlews on the 23rd, and twenty six pochard on the 24th.

Oystercatcher -Pete M

Coal Tips

Bearded tits have been seen on the south east lagoon again with three noted on the 23rd. Finch flocks noted feeding and flying around have been 20+ linnets, 30+ redpoll with a mealy redpoll seen amongst them occasionally. A single meadow pipit was reported on the 18th, 21st and 22nd. Redwing and fieldfare have been seen around the big hole area, also a barn owl and woodcock were seen at dusk on the 19th. A single bittern has been seen around the reed beds on the 16th and 23rd, be alert because they are not in the air long!

Discovery Trail and visitor centre

Sightings from the visitor centre have been of around 200 lapwing on the 13th, willow tits have been frequenting the feeders along with a nuthatch, and two ravens seen on the 24th and 25th. A bittern was reported from the duck feeding platform as well as two water rails on the 16th. Up to fifty lesser redpolls have been seen on the discovery trail with four siskins reported on the 21st. A barn owl was seen from the coal tips hunting over pick up marsh on the 23rd.

Raven - Keith Boyer

Gull roost

Up to 9000 herring gulls and 1250 black-headed gulls have been into the gull roost on main bay, joined by up to 300 great black-backed gulls. Visiting gulls noted have been a first winter yellow legged gull on the 13th, an adult Iceland gull on the 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st and 23rd. A juvenile Iceland gull made an appearance on the 17th and a second winter Mediterranean gull on the 26th; also lesser black-backed gulls have made the odd appearance.

Adult Iceland gull -Pete M

The starling roost on the coal tips were reported as 5000 strong on the 20th and 23rd/

Reports of overflights have included pink-footed geese with 120 moving nw on the 14th, 250 over the visitor centre on the 18th, 100 over the flashes on the 18th and 60 moving nw on the 26th.

27 whooper swans were noted on the 20th.