Hi,

It has been a very wet week on the Lincolnshire Wash. We are now in the wettest drought since records began!

The bird of the day is a black-winged stilt which is showing very well on the scrapes at Frampton. This stunning wading bird has had the occasional flight on to the wet grassland, where it has been harrassed by the displaying lapwings.

Also on the reserve today:

A pair of garganey on the wet grassland
Little ringed…

Look out for our brilliant volunteers working on the new wildlife garden near the Visitor's Centre at Frampton Marsh.

Over the last few weeks our main priority has been to get the sites ready for the return of our cattle, fixing fences, mending drinking troughs and charging batteries for electric fencing. Each spring/summer most of Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore are grazed by cattle. They do a fantastic job keeping the grass in perfect condition for nesting lapwings in the spring and for grazing geese in the winter. They also add…

This morning was a high tide at Frampton Marsh, 8.1metres, which brings the water all the way across the Wash and up to our sea wall. It’s a bit grey out there but I wrapped up warmly to venture out at 8.30 and it was definitely worth the chills.

 

I was only out for about 15 minutes, and wasn’t really concentrating as 8.30’s still pretty early for me, but I saw 18 species!

Dark bellied brent goos…

They're almost three weeks later than they were last year, but yesterday we had our first couple of sand martins on the reserve at Frampton Marsh.

Today another individual was checking out our sand martin bank. Hopefully they'll nest again this year. It'll be interesting to see if they use the existing nest holes or dig out their own. It is just me or is the idea of birds burrowing like rabbits a bit of a strange…

‘A quickening of the blood’...

This is what spring causes. There’s nothing like spring to make me feel I’m still a part of the animal world.

The likelihood is if you’re reading this you’re already an outdoorsy person, so you probably have first-hand experience of a cold winter wind blowing through you. I feel the same way about spring breezes and sunshine. It gets inside you in the same way as…

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…

We've had a strange mixture of weather over the last week; warm and sunny one day, cold and wet the next.
Luckily this hasn't phased the wildlife and there's been plenty to see on the reserve.

Here's a quick run down on what's about:

70+ Whooper swans
30+ Avocets
30 x Twite
12 x Black tailed godwit
6 x Snipe
2 x Spotted redshank
2 x Hen harrier (pair)
2 x Marsh harrier (pair)
2 x Meadow pipit
2 x Scaup
1 x Gr…

One swallow doesn't make a summer...but it's a good start.

I was reading up on my swallow/swift/martin ID this afternoon and I got all nostalgic for the balmy days of summer.

THEREFORE I'm keen to know when the first swallows start arriving.

So keen in fact that I'm offering to bake a cake (only a little one mind, I'm no Delia) for the first person who can catch a snap of this years' arrivals…

What do you think was the first thing to catch my eye as I opened up the VC yesterday morning?

I'll give you a couple of clues:

1) It made me feel I should be hearing Sir Attenborough in his characteristic voice over...
'This courtship display is one of the most elegant and iconic we may have the privilege to witness...(pause for emphasis)...in the British Isles...

2) The persecution of these birds, for the fashion…

Hi,

What a great day we have had today at RSPB Frampton Marsh. The sun has been shining like a June afternoon, and the temperature has hit 18C! Incredible, as it was -15C less than two weeks ago!

Anyway, for those of you that are interested in the white-winged gulls that have been in the area, we have had two more on the scrapes today.  Two 2nd winter Iceland gulls spent the afternoon on north scrape, but the Kumlien…

            

Cilla: What's your name and where d'ya come from?

Laura: My name's Laura and I come from Derbyshire, by way of Birmingham and Norfolk.

Cilla: And what do you do chuck?

Laura: I've just started as the VPO at Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore. I've just finished a year long trainee-warden internship with the RSPB at Titchwell Marsh and the Mid Yare Valley in the Broads. Now I'm taking over, on a 6 month…

Hi,

There have been plenty of sightings today and the mild weather encouraged a few more people to venture out around the reserve. The high tides for this weekend are at around 3pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday, they aren't huge, but it could be well worth the walk out to the Witham Mouth, where a Slavonian grebe was seen today and recent sightings have included great northern diver and velvet scoter. Three snow buntings…

Hi,

It has been another crisp winter's day today. The temperature has not  reached more than 0, but there has been little wind.

Sightings

Whooper swan 23

Brent goose 2000+

European white-fronted goose 5

Barnacle goose 1

Scaup 2

Goldeneye 2

Kumlien's gull 1

Hen harrier 1

Marsh harrier 1

Peregrine 1

Fieldfare 1250

Goldcrest 2

This weekend's weather

Saturday will remain bright and sunny, with a 

…

Hello,

Yeterday an Iceland gull dropped in to the reedbed at RSPB Frampton Marsh. This winter visitor from Greenland or Canada (not Iceland!) caused quite a bit of excitement for those of us that are excited by big white gulls!

After much deliberation by local experts and the county recorder, it was decided that this particular bird was an Iceland gull that showed characteristics of Kumlien's gull.

Today, the same…

After sorting out a few problems this week, our engineers have managed to provide us with heat, light and hot drinks.

Apologies to those of you who have been to visit this week without those much needed creature comforts.

Why not come along to the reserve, tody or tomorrow, enjoy a crisp bright wander around, and then pop in for a warming coffee and a chat.

 

See you there!

 

Simon.

 

The Wash is an incredibly important place for birds, both as a permanent residence and as a stop-off and refuelling site during migration. It is made up of a mixture of habitats, primarily mudflats and saltmarsh.

Our Wash cruises provide interest for all, from the avid birder or anyone with a general interest in nature, to people who like the idea of a leisurely cruise down the River Witham into the Wash. Each cruise…

Hello,

Unfortunately, we have no power at RSPB Frampton  Marsh this weekend. The visitor centre and toilets are still open, but hot drinks are not available.

Electrical engineers have been working through the night to get things back to normal, but a problem has occured that cannot be rectified until after the weekend.

We apologise for this inconvenience.

It is nice and bright here with plenty of birds to see.The …

Hello,

 

it has been a very wet and cold day here at RSPB Frampton Marsh. The rain has not really stopped all day.

Today's sightings have included:

Whooper swan 21

Bewick's swan 3 (but not quite on the reserve. They are in a field visible on the road in, with the mute swans).

White-fronted goose 4

Brent goose 1500+

Spoonbill 1

Barnacle goose 1

Scaup 2 (m&f)

Snipe 12

Black-tailed godwit 14

Dunlin…

 

 

 

 

Frampton Marsh

Optics Day.

Saturday 28^th January

10am – 4pm.

Come and join our optical experts for a day of demonstration.

 

Great bargains available on Swarovski, Leica, Viking, RSPB and Puffin binoculars and scopes.

Hi,

It has been a glorious day today at RSPB Frampton Marsh. The sun has been out all day, and the wind has been much more calm than recent days.

Today's sightings highlights have included:

Spoonbill 1

White-fronted goose 30

Brent goose 1500+

Barnacle goose 1

Pochard 5

Goldeneye 2

Scaup 3

Curlew 44

Dunlin 12

Lapwing 3000+

Golden plover 4500+

Grey plover 1

Peregrine 1

Merlin 1

Hen harrier 1m

Marsh…

Hello,

today, visitors to the reserve have been treated to some great sightings.

these have included:

Whooper swan 2

Bewick's swan 5

White fronts 30

Spoonbill 1

Ruff 6

Curlew 40+

Golden plover 4000+

Merlin 1

Peregrine 3

Hen harrier 2

Twite 40+

 

Today is especially sad as we have to say goodbye to Jaz, our wonderful visitor services trainee. Jaz has been working with us, here at Frampton Marsh for the…

 

Frampton Marsh

Optics Day.

Sunday 18th December

10am – 4pm.

Come and join our optical experts for a day of demonstration.

 

Great bargains available on Swarovski, Leica, Viking, RSPB and Puffin binoculars and scopes.

What a wild and windy day! I’ve been in the visitor centre this morning and was very impressed with the people who came for a walk and braved the wind. It’s definitely worth it, with thousands of wigeon and hundreds of lapwing and golden plover about.

It’s worth hanging about till around 4 o’clock at the moment. The past couple of weeks we’ve had a ghostly visitor swooping over the reedbed just as the light…

Hi,

It has been very cold on the reserve today. The temperature has struggled to get above 5C, which felt much colder thanks to the biting south westerly wind.

The cold has not put off our visitors or our birds.

Today's highlights have included-

White-fronted goose 23

Brent goose 1000

Wigeon 1000

Golden plover 1000

Lapwing 800

Water rail 1

Hen harrier 2

Marsh harrier 1

Peregrine 2

Merlin 1

Short-eared…