There have been lots of fantastic sightings today and one very exciting one for me!
At the Lilian's hide we had a Mediterranean gull and potentially three marsh harriers - an adult female, a juvenile and possibly a male.
Lots of interesting ducks at the Tim Jackson hide: teal, gadwall, shovellers, pintails, pochard and also good numbers of little egrets. The red deer were showing well here today too - a group of females with a calf were seen by one visitor who was also very pleased to have seen two stags bellowing at each other from opposite sides of the pool at the Griesdale hide.
A Cetti's warbler was heard calling from the willow scrub on the path to the Tim Jackson and Griesdale hides by one of our wardens and we had a sighting of a green sandpiper flying through at the Tim Jackson hide.
At 10.40 this morning a pair of bearded tits were spotted on the grit trays. A Whooper swan was also at this end of the reserve, seen from the Public hide flying over towards the Lower hide. A great white egret was again seen today. At 11 am it was seen from the path on the way to the Public hide and it was later seen at the Lower hide.
At the Allen pools there was a juvenile curlew sandpiper about as well as three spotted redshanks.
There was a lot of otter activity today at the Lower and Public hides and I finally managed to catch a very brief glimpse myself! At 8.20 this morning I was sitting in the Lower hide and spotted an arched back popping up out of the water. It was very hard to catch, almost indistinguishable from the rather choppy waves, but it popped up several more times before melting away. I almost had to pinch myself! Two were then spotted at the Public hide a little later, and later still, five were seen fishing and playing mid-water from the Lower hide. I feel truly honoured to have seen one, especially as I will soon be moving on, and it will stay with me for a long time
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