Sightings this week include the usual mixture of blackbird, coal tit, great tit, blue tit, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, dunnock, yellowhammer, tree sparrow, house sparrow and pheasant on or around the feeders at the Visitor centre. There has also been plenty of yellowhammer, tits and finches in the hedgerows and around 50 each of linnet, twite, skylark and reed bunting were recorded earlier in the week as part of a wintering passerine survey.
Curlew have been taking advantage of the flooded fields, often saw in flocks of 20 or more probing the soft mud in search of tasty morsels. Snipe have also been seen from the hides feeding in the wet grasslands and lapwing continue to be seen in the fields behind the visitor centre, and are now beginning to display, claiming territories and attempting to attract a mate.
Treecreeper and goldcrest have been seen in the woodlands approaching the Mieda hide and out from the hide there continues to be large numbers of pintail and shoveler along with mallard, wigeon, gadwall, tufted duck, teal, mute swan, grey heron, goldeneye, moorhen and a male scaup.
Sightings of a ringtail hen harrier continue to be reported frequently along with occasional reports of a male hen harrier. There have also been sightings of buzzard, kestrel, sparrowhawk, tawny owl and barn owl.
Barn owl - Photo credit: John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
On the beach there has been ringed plover, dunlin, shelduck, oystercatcher and redshank and a solitary male stonechat was seen around the farm buildings.
Other sightings include roe deer, badger, fox, mole, rabbit and brown hare’ boxing in a field, a definite sign that spring is finally here!!!