Happy BirdFair Eve!
A premature sightings blog as I'm not around tomorrow to scribe as I'm saying wonderful things about the reserve and the work the RSPB do on all our reserves across the country at BirdFair. This is an annual event held at Rutland Water and as it's only an hour away then those of you that come to the reserve regularly should go there and any blog readers from further away that are going should come here :)
Fortunately with the aid of my sightings map I can do you a very quick summary before I go.
1. Black-tailed godwits are slowly nudging towards and over 3,000! This is a fantastic sight seeing them all huddled together but can turn into something much more special when a Peregrine or Hobby come in low looking for a snack. This has happened several times this week and leads to many oooohs and ahhhhs from those in the 360 Hide. A truly memorable experience, don't miss it. Make sure you also keep an eye out between the long legs for smaller waders. Totals this week include 3 little stints, 2 curlew sandpipers, 5 spotted redshanks, 4 grey plovers and several hundred dunlin.
2. The glossy ibis must now be one of the best behaved and most photographed individual to ever grace the county. Strutting in the sun it has provided some wonderful images for lots of our visitors.
3. Sunny spells continue to bring the butterflies out and target species will be common blue and painted lady. Clouded yellow are still around but lots of luck needed.
4. We have 2 young spoonbills on Middle Scrape which are usually on the islands between the two hides, occasionally straying onto Roads Farm Wet Grassland.
5. Good movements of yellow wagtails this week with groups of 70 (Marsh Farm circle) and 20 (Reedbed circle) seen as well as many individuals dotted about the reserve.
6. Our seed rich crop in middle scrape is bringing the birds in big time with good numbers of goldfinches and linnets to be seen.
7. We are dropping water levels in these areas and snipe will be loving it on the fringes. This management also benefits ruffs, dunlins and both ringed and little ringed plovers.
8. Like butterflies, warm and still conditions will bring out dragonflies. Check along the ditch that runs into Marsh Farm for emerald damselflies.
Unfortunately the juvenile red-necked phalarope found on Sunday morning didn't stay into Tuesday but was seen by those that were able to make it down during it's two day stay. This addition to the year list puts us on 26 wader species for the month. Can you add sanderling, pectoral sandpiper or something rarer this month?
Red-necked phalarope - John Farmer
There are LOADS of ruffs around at the minute in various states of plumage ranging from the scruffy adults to the neater juveniles like the one below.
Ruff - Stuart King
And if you haven't been tempted to see our glossy ibis yet, then maybe Stuart's excellent photo can entice you over. It really is a special bird.
Glossy ibis - Stuart King
At the start of the week the two individuals below seemed to be having a competition between them about who could get closer to the hide. On this occasion the Wood Sandpiper won.
Wood sandpiper and glossy ibis - Stuart King
And finally if you haven't seen an emerald damselfly and don't know what to look for then this might help.
Emerald damselfly - Trisha Thompson
Well 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.
I'll be on the RSPB Birders stand at BirdFair tomorrow so please do come and say hello if you're there.
The more you're out the more you see - https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder