Hello
Sorry i did not manage to write a blog last week but hopefully this will catch you up.
The birds were very vocal today which brightened up what could have been a bit of a grey day. Just passed the Draper hide i came acoss a mixed tit flock calling away dominated by the lovely long tailed tits (follow the link to have a listen to their call http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/longtailedtit/index ). After that as i approached the zig zag ramp leading down to the ashby hide i was met by a cacophony of sound coming from 200 starling up on the pylon and a group of 16 goldfinch, 3 greenfinch, 4 chaffinch, 3 blackbird and a couple of redwing in the scrub by the stairs. In fact it was quite a good day for goldfinch with other groups popping up near the tern and gadwall hides and along the kingfisher trail. A group of goldfinch are called a charm. (a couple more links for you to follow if you want to hear some calls starling http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/starling/index or goldfinch http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldfinch/index )
Goldfinch by Malcolm Hunt
The Draper hide held an avidly feeding group of 4 snipe, 81 teal, 13 moorhen, 6 coot, 1 cettis warbler (quite an explosive song in the summer although this time of year it tends to be a bit garbled or stuttered http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cettiswarbler/index ), 6 shoveler, 2 mute swan, 1 female tuftie, a pair of gadwall, and a green sandpiper. A green woodpecker was also feeding in the meadow as you approach the hide, these birds have a great call called a yaffle http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/greenwoodpecker/index
The only heron i saw was on lagoon 3 (visible through the slots) along with all the sites pochard with 10 visible snoozing the afternoon away. The Gadwall hide was once again worth a prolonged visit with the redshank that turned up last week still around, 363 lapwing (really good numbers and quite vocal too), 16 snipe, 82 black headed gulls, 7 common gulls, 9 mute swan, 3 cormorants, 72 teal, 45 shoveler, only 7 gadwall, 17 teal, 1 little grebe, 28 coot, 11 moorhen, a cettis warbler and around 200 starling moving between the islands and the pylons.
Although we are still getting good number of starling on site during the day the roost numbers have dwindled and dropped. So i hope you managed to get down to see the roost display at it's peak or are able to visit another one this winter.
On my way back tot he visitor centre i had the pleaseure of hearing a wintery call in the form of a couple of field fare calling as they flew over. (listen to field fare call here http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/f/fieldfare/index ). So all in all a pretty good day.
Reserve management wise we are well underway with the winter cutting around the Draper hide area. We gave the annual cut to the meadow at the back of the hide and have started clearing the bank oppersite of thick clumps of bramble to allow other plants to grow as well as give us access to re pollard the willows in this area. This bank forms part of the compartment we call L8&9 a reedbed, there are a number of maturing sallow trees growing in the reedbed which we will also be removing this winter to help prevent drying out. We will continue to work in this area on the tuesday and thursday work parties this week.
thanks
vicky
PS due to a techinical faliure as i pressed publish the first time around on this blog, i have had to re write it, and sadly it never comes out quite the way it was so i apologise if it feels a bit rushed.