The warmer weather we have had since last weekend has sent some of our winter visitors back north for the breeding season, but it has also brought some of our summer visitors up from as far south as Africa!
Our numbers of black-bellied brent geese are slowly depleting as they head back to the Siberian tundra to breed (all bulked up on home-grown Frampton grass).
The large group of whooper swans he had visiting last week have also left; possibly on their annual flight to their breeding grounds in Iceland. However there are still a fair number about so don’t despair if you particularly want to see them; there’s still time!
Our Spring Arrivals board is up in the Visitor’s Centre and, low-and-behold, the spring migrants are starting to arrive.
Image of wheatear by Neil Smith
Here’s a summary of the highlights:
28 x whooper swans22 x avocet10 x twite2 x wheatear1 x chiffchaff1 x corn bunting1 x redpoll1 x jack snipe1 x water pipit1 x merlin1 x watervole!
This Sunday at 2pm is our last ‘Talon Spotting’ guided walk so be sure to book a place (01205 724678) for the chance to see peregrine, merlin, marsh harrier and maybe even short-eared owl.
In reference to your "Talon Spotting" comments, I got the best views of Short-Eared Owls that I've ever had this evening.
One was hunting along the ditch at the back of the reedbeds, no more than thirty feet in front of me, when a second one swooped in and proceeded to embark on a minor territorial dispute before flying off in a separate direction.
I stood watching them hunting for a good twenty minutes or more as the sun was just starting to set. It really was pretty special. :-)
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue."
Really missed my fix this weekend! I'm well jeal, as all the cool, grammatically erroneous kids seem to be saying these days!
Thank heavens for British Summer Time. Hopefully won't be confined to just weekend visits for the next six months! :-)