Bird news is rather thin on the ground so far this week, as I’ve been away on a course for the last two days, but I did manage to get out and about on the reserve today and did see some birds – despite the pouring rain!
I don’t know how many snipe we have on site, but I’m betting it’s quite a few! As we wandered around the banks of lagoon 7 this morning, up to 10 birds flew up, making their distinctive call and made their way over to Phase 2. And on Friday we must have seen 8 on Phase 1 as we rowed around checking our floating fish shelters.
The two regular little egrets were on Phase 2 this morning, along with a very noisy oystercatcher and a shelduck. The cetti’s warbler sounded great this morning, singing away in the Phase 1 reedbed and the air is full of the sounds of singing skylarks, reed buntings and chaffinches.
But the day’s highlight for me has to be….a beautiful pair of great crested grebes on lagoon 5. Both birds were in their stunning full summer plumage – the first I’ve seen this year and were even engaging in courtship display! The grebe’s courtship is fascinating to watch, as the birds sit in the water, facing each other, turning their heads from side to side in unison. We should also see them making synchronized dives and emerging with gifts of water weed for each other – brilliant to watch!