What a change, last Saturday I was wearing shorts but this Saturday the fleece was back on. Though the wet and windy weather may not be too pleasent for us, the birds don't seem to mind. On the flood the stunning male garganey has made vague though frequent appearances in with one of the small groups of gadwall. Large flocks of tufted duck and pochard are littered across the reserve along with some mallards and a few pairs of shelduck. The greylag geese on the reserve now have a large creche of goslings, staying close together at all times. A pair of swallows are adding the final touches to a nest just outside the window of the cafe.
On St. Serfs a pair of barnacle geese have eight goslings, that can be seen well from our CCTV camera. The gulls are sitting tight on their nests, keeping their eggs warm in this cold weather, but hopefully it will not be long until the "fluffy" young gulls are roaming the island.
My regular hike up the hill was rewarding today as a pair of tree creepers were collecting insects (probably for their their young) from the bark of the silver birch trees. There is also plenty of willow warblers dashing between the thick under growth.
Saturdays at Vane Farm seem to get more exciting by the week, check the blog next week to see what delights have turned up!!
Garganey