Water, water everywhere... It was so wet out on the marsh during December and the tail end of a little bit of an easterly brought a few notable birds to the reserve including a very obliging Snow Bunting (3rd), three Bewick’s Swans (8th) and a single Whooper (11th). A Red-throated Diver headed north rather than up the river on the 8th and Wigeon peaked at about 500 and Pintail at 15.
Lapwing numbers rose steadily to about 2000 and there were regularly good numbers of Golden Plover and Black-tailed Godwits with them. Jack Snipe were seen on the saltings on the 3rd and 16th and there were occasional sightings if Turnstone, Ruff, Common Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank. Two Avocets were seen on the 18th and Woodcock and up to 32 Curlew and 2500 Dunlin made for good wader watching.
Four Goldeneye were seen on the 14th and two Tundra Bean Geese headed east on the 20th. The 23rd saw the return of the white goose seen in November except that it was not a Snow Goose but a much smaller Ross’s Goose... Caspian Gulls were seen by anyone looking at the landfill including eighth on the 31st along with at least 20 Yellow-legged Gulls and the first Iceland Gull of the winter on the 28th.
A Hen Harrier was seen on the 16th and at least four Marsh Harriers have been using the marsh and all four were seen together on the 21st. A juvenile female Goshawk was seen on the 6th and seven Peregrines are currently using the area with some spectacular stooping. A female Merlin was also seen a couple of times.
Down on the foreshore there were about 20 Rock and two Water Pipits on offer along with up to six Corn Buntings and host of commoner finches that occasionally included Redpolls and Brambling. Single Waxwings were seen on the 1st and 21st and 22 went through on the 23rd. Bearded Tits were very difficult and Bullfinch at last gave itself up to the regulars while two Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps and several Goldcrests are wintering.
Three Common Seals and one Grey Seal were seen regularly and Foxes, Water Voles and doomed riverside rodents made for interesting mammale viewing!
Stonechat (Barry Jackson)
7-1-13
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer