The two firecrests that have taken up winter residence around Scotts Hall and the Rhododendron Tunnel continue to attract a lot of interest - for those lucky enough to actually see them. Frustratingly, they seem to avoid the attentions of most of our volunteers, despite many visitors having had good views.
The Rhododendron Tunnel area is proving a good place to spot several of our smaller birds, with regular sightings of goldcrests, treecreepers, marsh tits and up to 50 siskins. Elsewhere in the woodlands, at least 12 redwings are feeding among the leaf litter in South Belt woods, a chiffchaff (or possibly two) is regular near Bittern Hide, and green woodpeckers and bullfinches are regular. Great spotted woodpeckers and amrsh tits are regular on the visitor centre feeders.
Normally we'd be very skeptical of a report of an adder an early February, but after such a mild winter is was actually not a surprise when a male photographed on Sunday. The adder trail is now open, but we don't expect regular sightings until mid March.
In the wetlands, there's been a lot of interest in the red-throated diver that has been favouring the pool behind South Hide. On Thursday it relocated to the pool north of the North Wall sluice - exactly the same spot chosen by the slavonian grebe earlier in the week. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, this diver looks to be sick, with a large swelling in it's neck, which probably explains its tameness.
The red-throated diver in North Marsh by Ian Barthorpe
There have been good numbers of red-throated divers offshore all week, as well as great crested grebes and a few guillemots, kittiwakes and grey seals.
The Scrape is looking superb, with huge flocks of the commoner ducks - wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard, shoveler and shelduck - joined by up to 19 pintial and 24 tufted ducks. Lapwings are most numerous wader, with several hundred usually present, but there are also about 50 dunlins, 36 black-tailed godwits and a handful of curlews, ringed plover, redshanks and turnstones present, as well as the occasional avocet and oystercatcher. Gull numbers are down a bit, but often still include one or more of yellow-legged, Caspian and Mediterranean gulls.
There are at least nine marsh harriers over the reedbed - at least they seem to enjoy the wind - as well as sparrowhawks, buzzards and two peregrines - the latter favour perches out on the Levels. Bitterns and otters are seen most days - though not necessary showing well at the moment - and a kingfisher was at South Hide today. Two or three whooper swans about four Bewick's swans are still present, though mobile, within the reedbed area too.
A female sparrowhawk by Jon Evans - Bittern Hide is a good place to see them at present
Finally, on Wednesday morning we had a momment of comedy in the visitor centre as a stoat ran towards the feeders while one of our volunteers was filling them up. He didn't look up in time, but the stoat did, and when about ten feet away it changed direction and hid under some wood. A few minutes later it (or possibly another stoat) was spotted chasing rabbits at the front of the reception building too.