Hiho
Anyone frequenting the Visitor Centre this past week had a good chance at seeing a nice range of birds. The Osprey are still cruising around and individuals were seen on the 21st 24th 28th and a pair seen together on the 23rd. Other raptors were out in force also including 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Merlin (should've been here on Monday James) and a juvenile male Marsh Harrier. Presumably fleeing in terror from all this raptor action were 23 Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Pintail, 1 Lonely Lapwing on the low ground, 1 Greenshank, 1 Little Gull (good job Angus), 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Swift and 2 White Wagtail.
Tower pool hide has been particularly lively this week, again particularly on the raptor side of things with frequent sightings of an Osprey on the 21st and 23rd including a pair (likely the same seen from VC) seen together. We also had reports of a male Peregrine and a Short-eared Owl so plenty of big names down tower pool way. Calling away just out of sight, as usual on the 24th was one Water Rail and at least one Sedge Warbler (the first of the year for the reserve) while strutting about with a little less secrecy was a couple of Moorhen, 1 Whimbrel (another reserve year tick), 4 Gadwall, 33 Curlew, 2 Pintail, 1 Greenshank, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 25 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 White Wagtail, 5 Shelduck, 2 Swift and around 100 Sand Martin. You can still see good numbers of Wigeon and Teal here too. If you want.
Round the way at Fen hide there was a mixture of the "usual" including 3 Shelduck, 4 Pintail, 68 Tufted, 4 Goosander and 50+ Black-headed Gulls as well as 2 Willow Warbler, 2 water Rail and 4 Great Crested Grebes. Further excitemet arose with reports of a possible Snow Goose on the 25th on the Island in front of the Hide with an accurate and relible descriptin to back it up. This was a seperate bird to the previous possible Snow Goose seen from the Visitor Centre earlier in the week. Bay Hide saw its fair share of sightings this week with a stonking 22 Gadwall today (28th), 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Pintail, 2 Shoveller, 12 Shelduck (another good number), various Osprey reports, 1 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk to add the the raptor list for the week.
(pic. Osprey 1 : fish 0)
Elsewhere around the reserve 1 Willow warbler was seen in the wildlife garden while 1 Sandwich tern and 6 Whimbrel popped up onRatray beach.
Lots of stuff around again this week so keep the reports coming in and theres plenty of chances to bag one for the reserve year list.
Iain