The reserve is now covered in many very protective parents, adult lapwing and oystercatchers. There are a few lapwings with all their young tucked under them. An innocent heron went too close to the chicks and was "dive-bombed" by the angry parents. Though the chicks stole the show, there are plenty more birds on the flood including a huge flock of pochard and tufted ducks, gadwall, teal, wigeon and a few pairs of shelduck. On the loch there are many gadwall and a few coots.
Closer to the visitor centre, the feeders are full of birds dashing from the bushes to the feeder. Many goldfinches, greenfinches, siskin and a variety of tits were joined by the scarcer tree sparrow that has made regular apperances today. Our noisy greater spotted woodpecker has now fledged and the whole family can be seen feeding on the fat balls and peanuts! This morning a family of bullfinches were feeding close to the path to the visitor centre. Though the young birds have not developed their adult plumage the stunning male brought a little bit of colour to this rather dull day.
St Serfs has two white geese today, a white greylag goose and our now regular island inhabitant the ross's goose.The barnacle goslings have now nearly doubled in size from last weekend and behind every tussock of grass there is a young gull.
Hopefully by next weekend the weather will have improved, though sunshine or rain there are always birds at Vane.