With thanks to volunteer Graham Jacobs for his report from last Thursday.
It is amazing how much the water level has dropped in the last week or so. Once again the Adder was curled up in the wildlife area at the top of the Zig Zags which was a little surprising as the sun did not really break through all day - peer over the gate and scan the hedge line at the end of the gully with your binoculars.
At the Pipe Pond (next to the T-junction) a Cetti’s Warbler was anything but quiet giving us a burst of staccato song as we past by. From West Mead we looked out over a rather misty South Brooks but did manage to spot a Great White Egret that was way out on the river bank - conveniently feeding next to a Little Egret to make the identification somewhat easier. The Avocets were back and we eventually totted up a total of 7 so let’s hope we have some successful breeding again this year.
On the subject of breeding a number of Lapwing were clearly settling down on the islands in front of the hide . The Snipe were conspicuous by their absence after recent weeks, but on my return to West Mead later in the day I did manage to find one hiding away amongst the stubble . All the usual ducks were on show - although the number of Pintail is gradually beginning to decrease, in anticipation of the approaching change in the season.
On route to Winpenny we spotted the first Stonechat we have seen for a few weeks and shortly after we settled down in the hide the star of the show arrived. In front of a packed audience a White Tailed Eagle arrived, circled around causing the usual chaos and then settled on the ground - sadly partially obscured by a weed soaked shrub. Then to the delight of the assembled visitors it took off, headed straight for the hide and gave us a super fly-by before heading off towards North Brooks, enabling Derek to get a fantastic photograph which I hope he will send on to Anna for the reserve website.
He did - thanks Derek!
We then moved on to The Hanger where we found the eagle again, perched on the “Cormorant Tree” and it stayed there for the best part of an hour. As a result we were able to get it in the scope and show the many visitors who passed by. We then had another unusual arrival with a pair of Curlew flying in and settling on the Roman road that runs across North Brooks between the two stretches of water. They were clearly ringed so we guess they must be from the group that had been released on the Downs. The shrubs in front of The Hanger produced a Reed Bunting and the first Linnet we have seen for quite a while. A scan of the water yielded the pair of Great Crested Grebe that have clearly stayed on since last week.
Great-crested Grebes by Dan Sayers
I then returned to West Mead where I witnessed a fascinating family episode... as I approached the hide a pair of Egyptian Geese with 11 goslings were waddling up the path. I held back trying not to frighten them but they scattered with Mum & Dad flying off over the hide into West Mead pool, 9 goslings headed left under the hide and the other 2 disappeared. From the hide I and the 2 visitors who were already there saw the group of 9 emerge from under the hide and join Mum & Dad on the pool, but despite the parents calling the other 2 were nowhere to be seen. We checked outside to find the missing siblings trying to make their way into the hide in response to the calling , but on seeing us they dived into the stream by the hide and after some time emerged under the fence to be reunited with the rest of the family
Another enjoyable day ending with a bird list of 58 species.
Here's the sightings board from Monday 25 March - a full board with a crossover of our winter visitors and new spring arrivals. Several Blackcaps can be heard singing around the trail now and the sunshine brought out a nice selection of butterflies too.