Winter has arrived

It's official. Winter is here. I saw my first Bewick's Swans of the year this week. I never really feel that winter has arrived until I see my first "wild" swans - Bewick's or Whoopers - that have  arrived from the Arctic.

Both species are easily separated from the familiar Mute Swans by their yellow and black bills, but can be confused with each. However, if you look at the pattern of the yellow you should be able to separate them, even if you can't easily judge the size - Bewick's are noticeably smaller than either Whoopers or Mutes. Bewick's swans have a small amount of black, which usually ends in a blunt tip and never reaches beyond half way along the bill. Whoopers have more yellow, always extending two-thirds along the bill, and always ending in a wedge. An easy way to remember this is B=blob of butter=Bewick's, W=wedge of cheese=Whooper.

The Bewick's have joined huge numbers of ducks on the Scrape - Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler and bigger than usual flocks of Pintail. Look carefully among the ducks, though, as there are also a few more unusual birds present, including a female Long-tailed Duck for the last couple of days, several Goldeneyes, Goosanders and Tufted Ducks, plus both Scaup and Pochard earlier in the week.

With water levels slowly falling on the Scrape there is more suitable habitat for wading birds, especially in front of North Hide, where you might spot Lapwing, Curlew, Snipe or Black-tailed Godwit. Both Redshank and Spotted Redshank have been seen this week, too.

Talking of water levels, although they are falling there remains no access along the Sluice track, past Wildlife Lookout and South Hide. Last night there was also a surge tide which has breached the dunes in several places and caused extensive flooding between the dunes and  sea wall (see photo below from one of our wardens). As a result, there is now no access onto the beach at the end of North Wall, though you can still get onto the beach from the East Hide boardwalk. There, you might find a Snow Bunting in the dunes, or spot Common or Velvet Scoters offshore.

There's been some interesting sightings in the woods this week, too, included a late Red Admiral butterfly and several Common Darter dragonflies in Thursday's sunshine, Bullfinches and Siskins around North Bushes, Nuthatches and Marsh Tits on the feeders and Treecreepers in the woods.

However, it's been Island Mere that has arguably provided the greatest excitement this week. Up to 35 000 Starlings continue to gather between there and Eastbridge at dusk, providing spectacular views as they twist and swirl through the sky. We suggest that you arrive at the visitor centre no later than 3 pm to give yourself to grab a takeaway coffee and stroll along to Island Mere or Whin Hill to catch the action.

While watching the Starlings, keep an eye open for harriers coming in for a late meal. Most will be Marsh Harriers, but one might well be a lovely juvenile Hen Harrier (often referred to as a ringtail), as beautifully photographed this week by our volunteer, David Naylor.

Both Island Mere and Bittern Hides have also been good places to see Kingfishers, Bearded Tits and Otters this week, too, although Bitterns are more elusive of late.

Finally, why not plan a visit for next weekend when we are hosting not one but two exciting events. It's our annual Festive Fun Weekend, with a chance to stock up on Christmas gifts, as well as our biggest Binocular and Telescope Open Weekend of the year. We really excited to be welcoming our friends from Viking, Leica, Swarovski, Kowa and Zeiss to this event. so if you are looking for new binoculars or telescopes, why not pay us a visit.