Another week of bright conditions kept things pretty crisp and dry on the weather front and relatively static on the bird front. Avocets have been coming and going but more of the former than the latter as the week drew to a close with 24 on Middle Scrape being the highest count. While not a 'true' migrant with thousands now wintering in the UK, it is the first spring mover for us and so heralds a change. Black-headed…

Apologies for a lack of sightings last week. Half term and daddy duties beckoned but we're back this week and good to go. Sightings have been pretty stable with not a great deal of new birds in so you've not missed out on anything that you won't see if you get chance to see us in the next few days..

Highlights were the relocation of the rough-legged buzzard from last year on Holbeach Marsh and while not strictly…

It was the larger birds that hogged the headlines once more this week. The two European white-fronted geese that spent the day on the reedbed couldn't be relocated but several visitors got lucky with seeing a much more impressive sight on the morning of the 9th. 32 European white-fronted geese flew over the reserve before settling briefly on the wet grassland. Fortunately the finder managed to rattle off some shots of…

A very chilly and occasionally tempestuous week of weather saw or visitors and birds react accordingly. The windier and heavier conditions kept visitors away and the birds hunkered down but when the sun did break through, spirits, rather than temperatures where often lifted. The highlight of the week was the cracking Alexandrine parakeet that alighted on the hedgerow behind the Visitor Centre car park on the 5th. One was…

Hello and welcome to this weeks sightings. A blustery and chilly few days didn't deter our visitors and certainly didn't hold the birds back. Highlight of the week was a brief and distant rough-legged buzzard that was picked out on the far sea bank by our very own hawk eye. It was the photograph below that confirmed the identification late in the day on the 26th and shows that even though it's not sharp and distant (about…

Normal service has resumed. We have a map, we have pictures and we have a few birds to talk about too in this weeks sightings.

The biggest surprise and the biggest news of the week was a/the/OUR glossy ibis seen on the Frampton grassland on the morning of the 18th before flying off towards Freiston. Fortunately John was out that way grilling the sea for Patchwork Challenge and picked the ibis up flying towards him. Fortunately…

A very quick sightings update this week as I'm away from the office and my laptop doesn't quite have the sightings map making skills as my work desktop. Fortunately things aren't drastically different from last weeks map. The water pipits are still in the same area and so are the water rail and bulfinches. New additions to the map include sanderling on the wet grassland behind East Hide and merlin from the raptor viewpoint…

HAPPY NEW YEAR :D Hope you've all had a relaxing and enjoyable festive period. For many this was the first proper week back at work so I'll do my best to encourage a visit down to the reserves this weekend to alleviate those back to work blues. 

We've had a bird filled start to the year at Frampton with numbers coming back to their pre sub-zero peaks. Wigeon are hovering comfortably around the 4,500 mark with…

Depending on how things go in the next few weeks, this may well be the last sightings blog of 2014. Although I'm in at the start of next week there's a lot to be done before the fella in red tours on his sled but will update sightings through the various channels at our disposal as often as possible. 

This last week has seen no surprises in terms of new or unexpected visitors, the exception might be the jack snipe…

Apologies for the delay in getting this weeks sightings out. A returning tractor, an outgoing pump and an intermittent generator/electrical system all put paid to any sense of normality on Friday. Hence an early start for me which isn't all bad as I've just got redshank on the house list! :)

We say hello to some familiar faces in this weeks sightings and bid adieu to a Frampton regular, tissues at the ready.…

Viewing conditions improved dramatically this week with crisp chilly mornings giving way to much clearer afternoons. Fortunately, while the weather abated, the birds certainly didn't. The record wigeon count tumbled once more for the third time in as many weeks with 4,690 seen on the 5th. Teal numbers have waned a little but everything else seems to be going strong as summed up nicely by Chris’ visit to us on the…

And I thought last week was murky, crumbs! This week was very heavy indeed with morning visits nearly a write off for viewing due to thick fog. Fortunately we have an avian choral arrangement that would put a combined duo of Aled Jones and Charlotte Church to shame. Golden plover, lapwing, brent geese, wigeon, redshank, teal, curlew and many more all contribute to the Frampton soundtrack that accompanies your walk round…

Yes, he'll be making a list and checking it twice. He'll be finding out who's naughty or nice. Because Santa Claus is coming to Frampton Marsh!

On Sunday 7 December we'll be holding our Festive Family Funday, including a visit from Father Christmas himself.

Held in the heated visitor centre, your kids can have a great time with the Christmas crafts. They will make an Advent calendar, tree decorations…

Having a play with this as a concept to see if we can get more sightings out more often. Can't commit to daily yet but any feedback much appreciated and if response is high then we'll try and get it up and running. 

Will also work on my hand writing and guillotine cutting skills too :)

Also available here if you're on twitter and have a smart phone. Then you can bring it with you when you visit.

It's been a bit of a grey week with cloudy and misty conditions over both reserves. The birds however have been shining brightly and we start with a reserve first and another record falling, both within 5 minutes of each other!

John was on his last leg of a monthly Marsh Farm count when he heard a distinct call from the ditch between South Scrape and the road. A few calls later and the briefest of glimpses confirmed…

Another cracking week on the reserves, but admittedly every week has something to offer. Big news this week was not one but 2 records were broken (well three if you count the glossy ibis as each day it's seen is the longest we've ever had one today being the 154th for those keeping count). Our combination of hard work, foresight, ecologicial understanding and water management all culminated nicely on the WeBS count of…

I have to admit that the highlight of this week was in fact not on the reserve... controversial indeed. The rough-legged buzzard that was seen on 4 consecutive days last week was thought to be the same bird and could well have a winter territory that included Frampton. We were pretty confident that a flurry of sightings would then follow as eyes would be looking for this frosty northern visitor. This was not to be the…

The glossy ibis has once again been the big draw this week, and especially so given the incredible mild weather we've had. The sun has really brought the colours out and it's been living up to it's glossy status. It could well be nicknamed the confiding ibis seeing as it's been so approachable and photogenic in the last few days. If it's good weather this weekend and you've not seen it yet then please do come and treat…

There's been a distinct wintery feel in both air and birds, though this was temporarily shelved on the 23rd with 5 swallows hawking over the reedbed! Summer hasn't left us just yet it seems. Geese and duck numbers are both on the up and are looking very healthy so early in the year. Hopefully there's more to come still but if numbers stay the same then we'd be very happy indeed. Clouds of brent geese suddenly fill the…

There is a week of half-term holiday Halloween hi-jinks with the RSPB at their Frampton Marsh site, and they are dying to see you!

Starting on Friday 24 October and running every day through the holiday, you can follow a spooktacular treasure trail around the reserve.

If you are brave enough, you can pick up an entry sheet from the visitor centre before setting off around the surfaced trails. If you answer questions…

A few weeks one ago of our regular visitors, Robert, sent through an incredible excel spreadsheet detailing the dates and times of 150 colour ringed black-tailed godwits seen at Frampton Marsh. Not only are they records of birds seen here but their whole life histories. He estimates that the birds he's seen account for between 1 in 8 and 1 in 6 of all Icelandic colour ringed marked godwits alive today! Just goes to show…

Youth of today, eh? Just lazing about, playing with their computer games and not doing anything for the greater good...

Well, no.

At the weekend, youngsters from the Boston Wildlife Explorers club came out to Frampton Marsh, to show how much they care for nature and to do some practical conservation work. At their last meeting, a representative from Eastern Inshore Fishery and Conservation Alliance told them all about…

Right, here we go. It's been a pretty exciting week at both reserves. Right time of year and some near ideal weather patterns have come together nicely and given us plenty of good birds to see, and on several occasions not see, and talk about, so lets get started.

Following on from last weeks reserve first, our keen eyed assistant warden Simon picked out another new addition on the 14th. A pretty miserable day of heavy…

This weeks headline grabber and the highlight for many was on the Freiston reservoir during the week. A first year grey phalarope became the 33rd species of wader to be recorded at the Lincolnshire Wash Reserves and equalled our, and the, RSPB record for most wader species recorded in a year. October is the last month of recording so we're on the lookout for a stray woodcock on the wet grassland, though with easterlies…

Alas, the time has come for us here at Frampton to say goodbye to Charlotte, our excellent and popular Visitor Services Trainee. Charlotte has been working with us since April last year as part of a Heritage Lottery funded project to give young people a head start in the world of engaging with visitors on nature reserves.

And now a word from the lady herself:

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu

The time has finally…