The Big Garden Birdwatch Lounge is thrumming with activity. Those two nuthatch have been busy at the feeders, we have also had a reed bunting, bullfinch and a siskin sat almost within touching distance of the visitor centre windows.
Beyond the balcony a flock of around 20 siskin were spotted in the trees around the visitor centre, and down in the wildlife garden in full view of the lounge there has also been a weasel slinking around.
Siskin, Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Birds of prey have had another prolific week, with a sparrowhawk over the car park, kestrel and buzzard around the Riverside trail, and a marsh harrier, peregrine and barn owl over the flashes.
The red-crested pochard was last recoded up on the Moat on Tuesday, and the red-headed smew has been giving us the run around shifting between the Moat, Spoonbill Flash and Village Bay.
Also at that end of the reserve keep an eye out for stonechat, flocks of golden plover and a few pintail up on Hickson’s flash.
Up around Big Hole there have been several green woodpecker, a roe deer and a short eared owl. Both goldeneye and gadwell have been putting on courtship displays on Main Bay, and a large flock of around 50 fieldfare has been chuckling away on Cut Lane.
One major sighting this week was the snow! It was just a sprinkle but the reserve was magical.
Snowy Fairburn, Sally Granger