Howdy folks! Welcome back to the Frampton Marsh recent sightings. With me, Chris the visitor guy.
Well, I promised you last time to try to get more photos into this week's blog. So here's swan to get you started...
Photo by Nelly Petrova
Yes, it seems the mute swans are back to nesting again. Do remember to give them a wide margin if you see them nesting, as they can be quite defensive of their nests and young.
Right, bad puns aside, what has been out and about on the reserve. Cue the maps:
Yes, the ruff are lekking again. Just the one almost full male and one half-hearted one at the moment, but you never know. These things grow. Ask at the visitor centre for latest news.
The ring ouzel was a bit of a trek, being more than halfway down to the river mouth. But still proved popular with birders. The scaup on the reservoir are a male and a female, cracking birds. Sometimes you have to be careful about funny tufties, but no doubts with these two.
Nice to see little gulls back. Well, I say that. I haven't actually seen one yet....
Much excitement over the great white egret, which alas flew over the reserve and headed out over the saltmarsh. We get plenty of little egrets, but their bigger cousins pop in only very rarely (and we have never had a cattle egret!)
Again, much excitement over the osprey. Which went in the reverse direction. In off the sea and headed off inland.
Right, I promised you pictures....
Photo by Neil Smith
This male yellowhammer has been giving some cracking views by the visitor centre. It isn't always there, but definitely worth keeping an eye open for.
Sticking with the colour yellow, yellow wagtails are hanging around south scrape and the wet grassland to the North of the old car park. No sign yet of any with blue heads though.
In the hedgerow birds are singing away. Both residents like this robin but also migrants like sedge warblers
Photo by 'andyno43' via the Flickr group
At this time of year we get plenty of people coming to us looking puzzled saying "We've seen a funny-looking wader...". Ruff is the usual culprit, not least because they can be so variable.
Photo by Tracy Robinson
Photo by Jeremy Eeyons
Oh, and remember to look up! The lapwing aerobatic display team may be putting on a show of synchronised flying
Photos by Neil Smith
The brent geese aren't taking this lying down and will give them a run for their money though
And even the shelduck are getting in on the act
The black-tailed godwits will need to practise some more though. Definitely points lost there...
It isn't just birds to look out for. March may be now just a distant memory, but the hares are still hopping mad...
Hare by Neil Smith
So, there you have it.
Remember, you can get daily sightings (or sometimes as it happens news) via our Twitter feed. You don't even have to be on Twitter to read it. But if you are and have sightings you'd like to share with us, please @ mention @RSPBNorfolkLinc and use the hashtag #RSPBframpton (or #RSPBfreiston if it is news from there). If you have taken any photos we'd love to see those too. Either on Twitter, on our Facebook page or on our Flickr album.
If you are visiting next week, do please be aware there will be path maintenance works happening on Tuesday.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this week's blog. I trust you will have a good week of birding, stay safe and I'll catch you next time
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.