Due to the weather being as repentant and miserable as it was, this week couldn't keep up with the flurry of activity that we saw last week. Despite this we did have a few nice surprises....
The Little Stint that was seen briefly on North Scrape before flying off north last week was relocated on the Freiston reservoir on the 9th but hasn't been reported since, much like the long staying Great Northern Diver. We haven't heard any news of it since the 8th, so has it gone or is nobody looking for it? Answers on a postcard please.
Little Stint - Paul Sullivan
Great Northern Diver - Neil Smith
Away from Freiston we've had a nice little flurry of waders on the scrapes at Frampton. As the ground recovers from the excavators activities and the water slowly rises to wash away the tracks, birds have started to appear. A pair of Greenshank flying over on the 10th obviously had a successful recce as both were down in Middle Scrape the following day. The 11th was also the day the first Avocet of the year arrived to nudge us towards thoughts of spring and a pied bonanza of breeding birds. The flocks of Dunlin on the wet grassland continue to increase with numbers peaking at around 300, with Black-tailed Godwit following the trend too with totals gradually rising to a high of 80. Ringed Plover sightings were also on the up though numbers can't even nearly compete with the Dunlin and godwit, which themselves have nothing on the 6,000+ Golden Plover!! If you've not been down to experience our wet grassland spectacular, then please join us this weekend and enjoy the spectacle.
The Lincolnshire Wash Reserves first Avocet of 2014 - Ian Ellis
Joining the Avocet as a first for the year was the Corn Bunting that's been hanging around the back of the reedbed. Hopefully the pollen and nectar mix put in to help our Turtle Doves will also benefit them too.
Elsewhere we held on to the two Scaup but haven't had reports of Snow Bunting all week and our 4 White-fronted Geese haven't been seen since the 9th. Fortunately the Whooper and Bewick's Swans haven't followed the geese and they are still regularly seen from the cross bank in the fields to the south of the reserve.
Our raptors continue to be well represented, especially over the saltmarsh, and on the 8th our third Red Kite of the year was seen flying over the reserve. Is there a movement south or could it be the same bird wishing it was a wader so it could take advantage of our amazing scrapes?
Enjoy your weekend and good birding.
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