It has been a real mixed bag with the weather since last Friday evening when two inches of snow suddenly covered the ground during the course of David Lindo’s talk but it was gone by the next morning.
10.30pm Friday night...
David getting into character...
Fox, Magpie, Blackbird
Torrential rain followed on Monday morning during rush hour and the levels across the marsh have visibly risen. This has been followed by general grey and gloom until the howling wind of today has given us blue sky and fluffy clouds.
The Piano Sky of Wednesday evening
With westerly winds predominating as usual, it has not resulted in anything new arriving but the reserve is covered in bird still and there is plenty to see.
Duck are starting to get frisky with lots of displaying going on with the drakes bobbing and throwing heads and flicking bums into the air while making their various calls on the theme of ‘plib’, 'ploop', ‘weeeooo’ ‘parp’ and ‘took took took’.
Teal - Andrew Litchfield
Wigeon - Tony O'Brien
Shoveler - Tony O'Brien
Run up Coot - Tony O'Brien
Snipe numbers have got up again after a mid January lull with over 80 on Sunday and great views are to be had from both the Ken Barrett and Purfleet Hides along with shining green Lapwing and a few Curlew and Black-tailed Godwits. Two Ruff and a Green Sandpiper have also been seen regularly and flocks of iridescent Starlings are out probing the meadows amongst the Lapwing, geese and Wigeon.
Lapwing - Bob Cooper
Snipe - Pete Woods
Marsh Harriers and Peregrines are still dominating the skies and scaring the wotsits out of almost everything else with wings and at least one of the Short-eared Owls remains along the river wall.
Short-eared Owl - Steve Cullum
Bearded Tits have been showing exceptionally well at times, especially at the west end of the Northern Trail and have been bouncing along the boardwalk ahead of the visitors and watch where you walk as the odd Harvest Mouse has been seen out feeding as well!
Bearded Tit - Bob Cooper
Bearded Tit - Julie Dent
Harvest Mouse - David Dent
Water Rails have been seen in the reed cuttings and Reed Buntings are already starting to smarten up and it will not be long before they are singing which is exactly what our Skylarks are already doing on nicer days. I can actually hear one from inside the building as I type this.
Water Rail - Barry Tranfield
Reed Bunting - Lawrence Rogers
Skylarks - Tony O'Brien
A couple of Chiffchaffs and the ever elusive Cetti’s Warblers can be found in the reeds and Blue Tits are destroying the reedmace heads while Stonechats stand sentinel on top. The Woodland Robins (Rocky, Ricky and co) are still doing their thing and are delighting visitors young and old with their desire to seek out us humans for a nice tasty mealworm.
Stonechat - Bernard Bradshaw
Rocky the Robin - Linda Starkey
Back nearer the centre there are still quite a few Redwings around and a few Greenfinches are with the Chaffinches, Goldfinches and House Sparrows around the feeders.
Redwing - Bill Moss
Greenfinch - Bill Moss
The Blackcaps are still coming to the apples that I am putting out – they find them irresistible but will not share then with anyone else. Only the Magpies usurp them.
Blackcap - Bill Moss
I will leave you with a little sign that the seasons will eventually change…
Snowdrops - Tony Houston
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer