Well, the first thing to say is that it really is beginning to feel like spring. There are lots of signs that wildlife is beginning to feel the same, with skylarks singing, a few half hearted displays from lapwing over the low ground and goldeneye doing their crazy head flicking thing. Of course, who will ever forget our bushnell camera footage of a couple of badgers feeling “spring like”. The weather too has hopefully taken a turn for the better.
Our latest sightings this week start with highlights from Fen Hide. Bearded tits were seen for the first time in 2014 on the 18th. Only one was actually seen but the many “pings” suggested a little flock was in the reeds and this was confirmed when 4 were seen on 1st March also from Fen Hide. It’s highly probable that they bred on the reserve last year and the sightings we have had over the autumn/winter are hopeful signs that we currently have a resident mini flock
This photo of a juvenile male Bearded tit was taken at Fen Hide last summer. (By Joseph Nicols) We’d like to think it bred on the reserve and it’s maybe one of the birds seen recently..but who knows?????
Red breasted mergansers peaked at three on the 21st. A woodcock was flushed from the path to Fen Hide on the 24th. A Slavonian grebe has been seen throughout the week, last seen on the 25th just a few metres in front of the hide. On the 27th a 1st winter little gull, 2 scaup, 2 long tailed duck, a Great crested grebe were also seen and 2 water rail were “sharming” in the reed bed to the left.
Sightings on the Low Ground from Tower Hide have been excellent. The redhead Smew was seen on the 23rd and the 25th in the large pool just left of the remains of the tower. Pintail peaked at 18 on the 28th and 6 shoveler were seen on the 23rd. Pink footed geese are using the dry fields more now as the grass begins to grow again and 2 white fronted geese (race unspecified) were picked out on the 23rd. Lapwing numbers peaked at 265 on the 22nd and 470 curlew were noted on the 19th. There were 620 common gull also recorded on the 19th. An occasional long tailed duck has been seen on the savoch pool to the left of the Tower Hide. 20 Golden plover were also seen on the 22nd. A couple of Water rail were also heard here too on the 20th.
Raptor of the week has to be sparrowhawk, with regular sightings all week, including an impressive flyby in front of the visitor centre with prey (still alive and squawking), on the 23rd. Peregrines were also seen..one feeding on a recent kill on the Low Ground on the 20th and another sighting from the visitor centre on the 27th.
Other highlights from the visitor centre include daily sightings of the resident Little egret. 170 lapwing were seen on the 28th along with 2 ringed plover, which were also seen on the 2nd March.
Rattray this week has thrown up regular sightings of up to 2 two white Snow geese. (in the fields on route to Rattray. Four pale bellied brent geese were using the Rattray fields on the 24th and a green winged teal was on the flooded pool between the Rattray Bed and Breakfast and the beach on the 28th.