Thank you all for bearing with me on the sightings front. It has been a hectic few weeks that has seen me off work for the last four Fridays of the month for one reason or another. Big thank you to Murray for doing the honours and getting something out last week. Lots to get through this week so will crack on with the map
1. The white-rumped sandpiper has been with us since the 30th of May has been favouring this area though I suspect the bird reported in Norfolk this morning (13th) could well be this bird so fingers crossed it realises its mistake and heads back our way.
2. The purring song is the best way to locate our turtle doves. Patience is then the key as you try and glimpse them alighting from their perch. Scan along the paddock hedge from Marsh Farm reservoir or take a trip down the sparsely vegetated cross bank.
3. The little stints have been a bit of surprise as we didn't have any for a while and suddenly we've had a little run of them from the 10th. There are currently two to be found but hopefully more will follow.
4. Our 31st wader species of the year was found on the evening of the 11th and still present at time of writing. With several in the country it was always hoped we'd pick one up so a relief when this one arrived on the same pool as our broad-billed sandpiper.
5. Two drake and a female garganey are regularly seen in this area, the females being a harder prize to find than the distinctive males.
6. Corn buntings continue to sing into June and, like the turtle dove, these once abundant farmland birds are often asked after in the visitor centre.
7. The majority of the black-tailed godwits we get at Frampton (and in the wider UK) are og the Icelandic race but in the summer months we welcome the scarcer continental birds. Rather than detail identification criteria here I will let others who know much more about it explain. Have a look here and here. Make some notes and come down to put your skills into practice by identifying them on the grassland.
8. We have had regular hobby sightings over the reedbed as they hunt our hirundines but due to their excellent speed and total awesomeness they often flash by super quick so if you sense an avian panic then look up sharpish and hopefully you'll see one.
9. We think Mediterranean gulls are nesting on the islands but the vegetation is too long to see them :( Fortunately we have several birds that drop in and out so keep an ear out for the call :)
Our highlight bird of the week, though not on the map as it wasn't seen on the 12th, was the reserve's first ever broad-billed sandpiper and our 30th wader species of 2015. It was found on the 9th and elusive for the day before being very confiding indeed during the 10th and 11th.
Broad-billed sandpiper - Ian Ellis
At one point on the evening of the 10th we had broad-billed sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper and little stint feeding together on the grassland. Totally bodacious birding big time! :D
Broad-billed sandpiper (brief video here)
The white-rumped sandpiper is a more subtle bird than the broad-billed and while not as rare, posed more of an id challenge. The subtleties of this American calidrid, our 6th in 6 years, where well studied both up close and at distance as it ranged across Roads Farm.
White-rumped sandpiper - Jake Gearty
White-rumped sandpiper - Ian Ellis
White-rumped sandpiper
And to finish off our trio of top waders we have this male red-necked phalarope. For a couple of hours on the evening of the 11th all of them could be found on the reserve which we think may well be the first time such a threesome has occurred on any site in the country. Unfortunately, as is often the case here, only a handful of observers were on the reserve to enjoy them all.
Red-necked phalarope - John Badley
We're not sure if the little stints are here to stay or not so enjoy them while you can. If they are here for the duration then we'll cross our fingers that more may join them. We are currently fighting a battle with the mass of mud that is The Wash to keep these birds so while we win at high tide, low tide is a different ball game. If you are coming to check out our waders then please use the tide times in the link at the bottom of the page and coordinate your visit.
Little stint - Dan Newton
It would be easy to think that all of the birds that have made Frampton their home over summer could be referred to as 'our' birds. Something I definitely do as I try to get breeding areas prepared prior to the spring and water levels balanced during the summer so ensure the birds under our care have the best possible chance of breeding success. Thanks to bird ringing I am constantly reminded that these aren't my birds, they are everyone's and don't just call Frampton their home but lots of places, both here and abroad. So while I can do my bit for when they come and hang out here, I don't need to worry too much about them going elsewhere as there are measures and laws in place to protect breeding, wintering and migratory birds. These are called Nature Directives and there are some that think they need reviewing. This would be seriously bad news and I urge and implore all of you that read this to click on this link and follow the instructions. After you've done this, please pass this on to friends and family. If people don't sign and support this then many of the reserves you know and love, and all the hundreds of reserves, species and habitats you have yet to know and love both here and in Europe could well be put in more trouble than they already are :( Seriously mega seriously this needs to be an essential part of your weekend. If you drink tea, turn the kettle on, fill in the form,drink tea. If you eat toast, put toaster on, flll in the form, eat toast. If you have a bath, run bath, fill in form, have bath. Done. Easy. Please please pleeeeeeease don't pass this by. If you need more convincing watch this.
Avocet PVM (ringed in Spain but awaiting further details)
Mediterranean gull (we know it was ringed in Europe due to position of the ring)
The directives have helped hundreds of species stabilise and recover allowing us to be lucky enough to have sights like this.
Avocet chicks - Andrew Chick
Other bits to look out for that aren't on the sightings map are the few emerging bee orchids on the path to east hide, painted lady butterflies around the reserve and oodles of wader chicks on the grassland. We're just completing our final wader surveys so should have a good handle on where we are after that. For photographers we recommend the path from the old car park to sea bank for fantastic flight shots of swift and common tern. Both coming in very close so put your skills to the test.
That's all from me this week. Enjoy your weekend everyone, and if you can't wait 7 days to know what's going on here, keep your finger on the Lincolnshire Wash Reserves pulse by following us on Twitter and giving us a ‘like’ on Facebook. Alternatively if you enjoy taking pictures and have a Flickr account then please join our group and share your images with everyone. If you are thinking of paying a visit from near or far please do check out the tide times which can make a big difference to both numbers and variety of birds seen on the day.
The more you're out the more you see - https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder