Kicking on with highlights on Starnafin Pools in front of our visitor centre, waders have started to trickle in and we have had several "reserve year ticks". Two male ruff were seen on the 28th April moulting into their summer plumage. One was very dark and the other was predominantly white. The white individual is still here, last seen this afternoon. A little ringed plover was first seen on the 4th May and again is still here this afternoon, along with 2 ringed plover and a dunlin. A small flock of whimbrel flew over Starnafin pools on Saturday 3rd. There are still at least three on the reserve today, on and over the Low Ground in front of Tower Hide. A single black-tailed godwit was seen on the 1st and 2nd May
Common tern numbers have peaked at 17 on Starnafin pools in recent days including some "fish display" on Starnafin island. There have been a few more flying over the Loch, so it look likes the influx has started.
Great to see common terns arriving back, picture courtesy of rspb images.
Across the reserve we have a few breeding wader highlights. There are three pairs of lapwing in the Starnakeppie area, which is at the south of the Loch. Plus, at least two pairs of oystercatcher, one on one of the loch islands and another on the revamped Starnafin island. There are plenty of other displaying oystercatchers, so we will hopefully have a couple more nesting pairs before the end of the week. We carried out our first wader walk through mosstown marsh this morning and counted a total of 10 snipe. Its too early to say whether all of these are actually breeding birds, but we will be looking out for drumming males throughout the summer.
The marsh also has good numbers of breeding reed buntings, meadow pipits and sklylarks. There were a few sedge warblers this morning but it will be a week or so before they are all back. We also had a male grasshopper warbler, which brings our total of "reeling" males so far to two. Hopefully, lots more to come. The highlight however was a moth...a very fine emperor moth. This is not very rare, but it is the first time it has been recorded at Strathbeg. Sadly, we didn't have a camera with us. The marsh is looking a lot more colourful now with plants beginning to flower: marsh marigold, cuckoo flower and marsh violet.
We still have bearded tits!!! If they are here at this time of year, it's highly likely they are breeding, which is extremely exciting. They are being heard regularly from Fen hide, most recently on Saturday evening. There are a pair of Great crested grebe, seen daily from fen Hide and we have three pairs across the loch in total. Mute swan nests have also been counted across the reserve. Although not rare, swans are always nice to see and we have five, slightly lower than in previous years.
A young marsh harrier was seen on the 3rd May from bay Hide and was also seen several times on the 4th. It was tricky to determine its sex, but I am reliably informed it was a female. Ospreys are seen daily at Strathbeg over the summer and on the 4th three were seen over the Loch together. A rather fine merlin was seen over the dunes on the 30th April as was a barn owl on the same evening.
There were still small numbers of pink footed geese around last week, but the wildfowl highlight was 176 barnacle geese on the 30th April , on the dry fields in front of Tower Hide. Most probably these were Svalbard birds on route to their breedng grounds for the summer.
Mammal highlights this week included a close encounter with two stoats on the path to the Loch Hides, badger action near Bay hide on 3rd May and Also from Bay Hide on the 30th April an otter spectacle, a group of three swimming by.