Howdy folks! Welcome once again to the Frampton Marsh recent sightings blog post. With me, Chris the visitor guy!
Strap yourself in folks, we actually have a few photos of birds this week. But lets start with today's map...
Yes, the dowitcher is still with us. Sometimes a little hard to see, mostly because it has got so close! If you've not yet been to see this American bird, it is a great chance to do so.
(Photo by Neil Smith)
Here it is. A blit like a small godwit really with, you've guessed it, a long bill! There is a slight droop on the end, but that can be tricky to see.
Here it is next to a black-tailed godwit, having a bit of a stretch, so you can see the sort of size difference. Look for it on the grassy banks of South Scrape.
The sharp-eyed amongst you will have seen something else. Yes, glossy is back. Back again. Yes, glossy back, or maybe a friend... (No-one got name the tune last week, so I'm trying again). To be honest, we have no idea if this is the same glossy ibis that was here back in 2014, but great to see one again. If you can! Unlike the dowitcher, it has been rather elusive. Sometimes on the wet fields behind the scrapes, it has mostly been on the saltmarsh, about 500 metres out and hiding in the runnels. So good luck!
If you need reminding of what one looks like, here is a picture from 2014.
The bird has apparently been hanging around Boston for the last couple of weeks, but taken this long to reach us.
Right, back to Thursday...
Ah yes, the black-necked grebe. It has been on the grassland reservoir for a few days. Careful to not be confused with little grebes though, as there are a lot of those there too.
Here's a photo of the bird by Ian Bollen. Look for the very two-toned appearance. If you are close enough, you may even be able to see the red eye and the slightly upturned beak. Little grebes tend to be smaller, rounder and browner on the flanks.
Not on the map, there was a report of ring ouzel on the path down to the river mouth.
The bearded tit flock is varying in size, but usually proving to be very vocal. Numbers have gone all the way up to a minimum of 16, and they are best seen either down at the old car park, or around the reedbed. Just keep your ears open for their calling. You may even get lucky and see one perched up...
(Photo by Alan Bewster)
So, Tuesday...
Not seen (or maybe just not reported) for the last couple of days, bramblings had been pretty regular in the hedge by the field reservoir. Not as showy as chaffinch, you needed a bit of patience. But once they'd got used to you, good views of these wintering finches were possible.
Sunday appears to have been the last hurrah from little stints and curlew sandpipers. Unless everyone has got bored of them and stopped mentioning them to us?
Right, thats an end to the maps. But let me just add you really ought to check out our finch and sparrow flocks. Both around the reserve and at the visitor centre there have been some good-sized groups. Only this afternoon there were 30 tree sparrows at the centre feeders. And greenfinches are abundant everyone, attracted in by the sunflowers we've been growing at various places around the reserve. Great to see two small birds who have had recent tough times, doing well.
Also to mention are the winter ducks, increasing in number. Wigeon and teal are everywhere, and pintails are scattered amongst them. Brent geese are burping away, and apparently there is a barnacle goose with them. Whooper swans tend to leave the reserve at dawn and come back at dusk, though sometimes do drop in for a wash and brush up in the middle of the day. On the raptor side of things, the tree in the middle of the reedbed has kestrel, sparrowhawk and merlin using it as a perch. Look carefully! Hen harriers are daily sightings out over the saltmarsh (as well as the more usual marsh harriers), and peregrines bomb through scaring everything silly. Barn owls can be found hunting at dusk. We wait to see if the "4 o'clock owl" from the last two years returns to hunt outside the visitor centre at that time again this winter! They are certainly about though...
So, there you have it. Do come and pay us a visit. And if you do, pop into the visitor centre to say hello (it is me on duty this weekend). Also do tell us what you have seen, either in person, via our twitter feed https://twitter.com/RSPBNorfolkLinc or even by just leaving a message on the office phone of 01205 724678.
A reminder also, the twitter feed is where we put out more regular sightings news, including the sightings map. If you are reporting sightings via your own twitter feeds, please use the #RSPBframpton hashtag.
So, that's about it for this week. I hope you all have a good weekend, take care, and I will catch you next time!
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.