The second half of July saw a number of highlights, with high numbers of a variety of wildfowl and waders visiting the reserve. This included 145 tufted duck, 77 mallard, 28 lapwing, 24 Canada geese, 13 great-crested grebe, 7 greylag geese, 3 oystercatchers and 2 little grebe, among goldeneye, water rail, snipe and a common sandpiper.
There were still a range of summer visitors around the reserve, with grasshopper warbler, sedge warbler, willow warbler, chiffchaff and spotted flycatcher all recorded by staff and volunteers, along with numerous house martins, swallows and swifts.
Spotted flycatcher (and fly!)
Our last July sighting of osprey came on 16 July (although this wasn’t to be our last sighting of the year) and we were also treated to the sight of two peregrine falcons on 18 July.
One species that’s resident here but that always provides a highlight for visitors, is the goldcrest. Notable for being the UK’s smallest bird, it’s also a beauty, with a punky stripe of gold atop its head. Being so small, it often goes unnoticed, but it’s a bird that once seen, leaves a lasting impression.
Goldcrest
If you missed out on seeing a goldcrest, there were also opportunities to see a kingfisher and a bullfinch before the month was out, leaving our visitors with indelible memories of some striking birds.
Little grebe: 2 seen on 24 July
Great crested grebe: 13 seen on 27 July
Greylag goose: 7 seen on 25 July
Canada goose: 24 seen on 16 July
Mallard: 77 seen on 18 July
Tufted duck: 145 seen on 28 July
Goldeneye: seen on 27 July
Sparrowhawk: 2 seen on 27 July
Osprey: seen on 16 July
Peregrine falcon: 2 seen on 18 July, 1 seen 31 July
Water rail: seen on 16 July
Oystercatcher: 3 seen on 17 July
Lapwing: 28 seen on 31 July
Snipe: seen on 31 July
Common sandpiper: seen on 17 July
Kingfisher: seen 28 July
Grasshopper warbler: seen on 30 July
Sedge warbler: 2 seen on 23 July
Chiffchaff: seen on 16 July, 26 July
Willow warbler: 3 seen on 23 July
Goldcrest: seen on 20 July
Spotted flycatcher: 2 seen on 16 July
Chaffinch: 10 seen on 22 July
Greenfinch: 6 seen on 20 July
Goldfinch: 9 seen on 19 July
Siskin: 3 seen on 18 July
Bullfinch: 3 seen on 30 July
Reed bunting: 3 seen on 17 July