Birds. Birds everywhere.
This week we have been mostly watching... the 2 Common Cranes strutting around by the old pump tower! Definitely the celebrity couple (hopefully) of the moment and anyone who is anyone has been along for a look over the past week with them being visible most days. A few of our dedicated Crane watchers have reported "courtship like" behaviour so lets hope they decide to make Strathbeg their home for the summer.
In other news the reserve has been vibrant with wildlife these past 7 days. Mondays Wetland Bird Survey came up trumps with just over 10000 Pink Footed Geese still at Strathbeg, many times more than remained here this time last year and likely a result of the late Spring delaying travel plans to Iceland. Joining the Pinkies were (deep breath) 2 Barnacle Geese, 59 Mute Swans, 14 Whooper Swans, 11 Oystercatcher, 86 Curlew, 3 Goosander, 15 Red Breasted Merganser, 90 Tufted Ducks, 227 Golden Eye, 55 Mallard, 4 Pintail, 3 Grey Heron, 158 Wigeon, 228 Teal, 1 Scaup, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Water Rail, 4 Lapwing, 4 Pochard, 1 Ringed Plover, 10 Shelduck, 4 Moorhen, 1 Gadwall, 40 Cormorant, 206 Black Headed Gulls, 1 Ruff, 3 Redshank and 10 Coot.
This positive plethora of birdlife has been a regular feature this week. From the Visitor Centre window on the 18th we had the first 2 Black-Tailed Godwits of the Year, 2 Chiffchaff and a Garganey. On the 17th was a solitary Greenshank while on the 16th was the years first Common Tern, a White Fronted Goose and a female Marsh Harrier. Throughout the week 2 different Osprey were seen fishing in the Loch on differnt days. Up the way at Tower Pool Hide good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail have been flitting around the low ground while 2 Pintail Ducks, 8 Shelduck, 15 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin, 3 Greylag Geese, 1 Little Gull, 1 Peregrine, 2 Osprey sightings and several records of a male and a female Marsh Harrier on the 18th. Fen hide yielded, in addition to the usual culprits 30+ Swallows, 67 Tufted Ducks, 4 Pintail and 4 Great Crested Grebes on the 20th. Earlier in the week Bay hide was good for 2 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Pintail, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Gadwall, and a female Scaup. Later on 6 Pochard and 4 Red Breasted Merganser joined the party.
So to sum up there's been well loads of birds here and we're all dead excited about the Cranes. Also Ed saw a Wheatear on the reserve before Vicky did. Just so everyone knows.
Iain.