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 500m away) record shots can be very helpful so if you do see anything you're unsure of, snap away and show it to us in the visitor centre or e-mail it to us at lincolnshirewashreserves@rspb.org.uk
Rough-legged buzzard - Ian Ellis
The other big draw for us this week has been the female brambling frequenting the hedgerow behind the car park. It can be tricky to pick out among the 30+ strong flock of chaffinch and tree sparrow but the flash of white rump when it takes off is a key identification feature. They're a little easier when they sit right out in the open though....
Brambling - Paul Sullivan
The only other new arrival this week was the 1st winter drake scaup that was found on the Marsh Farm reservoir on the morning of the 24th. It soon relocated to the reedbed and was seen on the evening of the 29th roosting on one of the islands. A good one to look for this weekend and will save you the yomp down to Cut End or Tabb's Head if you do find it.
Our record wigeon numbers are slowly tailing off as January draws to a close. Dropping the water levels a little to allow the grass some recovery time before we flush it again next month in time for the breeding season may have moved a few on but it's also the time of year too. Ducks are now starting to display and pair up with males either chasing or displaying to females. If you find a small group of teal then hopefully you'll get some time watch the males whistle and throw their heads back as they rise out of the water to show off to a potential mate.
Wigeon - Neil Smith
And it's not only the wildfowl that have one eye on the Spring. Lapwing are stretching their wings and showing brief snippets of their acrobatic display flight, skylarks are hovering and offering snatches of song over the marsh and we've found a little cluster of orchids emerging on the sea bank, on the Marsh Farm side about half way to the Raptor Viewpoint.
Lapwing (female on left, longer crested male on right) - Alan
We still have plenty of waders feeding across the reserve, 30+ black-tailed godwit, 600+ dunlin, 150+ ringed plover, 40+ ruff, 60+ curlew and 4,000 golden plover (worth grilling them all for something rarer) all seem very happy to poke around on our food filled grassland. High tides next week might push some grey plovers up onto the reserve and it's worth looking out for spotted redshank too as at least one has been recorded on the saltmarsh but not yet on our fresh water habitats. Avocet is another to have on the radar as they should be putting their first appearance of the year in soon.
Black-tailed godwit - Neil Smith
Dunlin - Jeremy Eyeons
Ruff - Neil Smith
The feeding station outside the visitor centre is getting busy due to the icy conditions. Yellowhammers are looking splendid and male reed buntings are starting to get their black heads and white collars. Some good early morning light can provide some great photographic opportunities of these gorgeous buntings.
Yellowhammer - Neil Smith
And so to this weeks sightings map.....
1. The two water pipits have been hard to pin down with the shallow flashes on the grassland freezing. Best bet is checking the shores of the reservoir or even the reedbed if things ice over.
2. This is the place to look for the brambling. Scan the hedgerow behind the car park and look for that white rump and lemon underwing.
3. The 1st winter drake scaup is showing some gre on the mantle but the glossy green head and slight larger size to surrounding tufted ducks are the things to look for.
4. Male hen harrier, up to three marsh harrier and 2 merlin have been seen from the sea bank as well as the rough-legged buzzard on Monday afternoon.
5. Although not seen daily, when the sun shines and the wind drops the Cetti's warbler usually comes out to play and this is the best place to listen from.
6. The water rail sticks pretty close the fence that runs between the grassland and paddock as it feeds in and around the many moorhen.
7. One of our most anticipated sights, the barn owls continue to impress and perform outside the Visitor Centre around dusk.
8. Up to 27 whooper swans come in to roost every evening on the reedbed and will occasionally hang on past dawn in the morning. Worth an early start for a chance to see them.
9. Though distant the little owl can be seen from the Visitor Centre but closer views can be had from the Marsh Farm track.
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.
The more you're out the more you see - https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder