The brooks are rapidly filling up with water and birds - nothing like a bit of weather to bring some changes. Today there were ca.100 pintail and 80 black-tailed godwits on the north brooks, plus hundreds of teal, wigeon, shoveler, mallard and lapwings all over the site. Five or six ruff (maybe more, rather mobile!) could also be found and a mixed flock of ca.120 common and black-headed gulls were present at 10.30. The birds on the south brooks in particular have been regularly harassed by at least one peregrine. The marsh harrier is still appearing on a near daily basis and ravens have been heard/seen for the last 2 mornings.
Large numbers of fieldfares and a few redwings were in the hanger scrub this morning. Bullfinches have been in present good numbers around the trail - best places are the hanger and around Fattengates courtyard. Great spotted woodpeckers are already drumming, and occasionally song thrushes have been heard singing. We think there have been two or maybe three widely spread lesser spotted woodpecker sightings in the last 10 days.
Elsewhere in the valley - at least 19 Bewick's swans were seen on the waterfowl count this week, feeding on the brooks bewteen Burpahm and Offham. A red-breasted goose (we presume an escape) was with a flock of greylags on the brooks near Bury.
Please note - the nature trail will be closed tomorrow (thurs 19th) until 09.30.