Hi,
In a week in which we witnessed the autumn leaves tumble down from the trees and a coating of frost on our window screens, there was also a distinct winter feel to our wildlife watching. Sighting of the week goes to a couple of Stonechats which frequented the Haverton end of the reserve. This Robin-sized bird can be very showy and audible at times, especially when alarmed by a passing predator such as a weasel.
On the lookout for predators. This male Stonechat is striking a typical pose (Thanks to Ian F for the photograph).
The monthly WeBS count undertaken during the week provided some interesting species totals including, 592x Canada Goose, 697x Wigeon, 224x Coot and 4x Shelduck.
Noteworthy wader tallies recorded during the week included, c. 2000 Golden Plover (only 4x during WeBS, typical!), 19x Dunlin, 5x Black-tailed Godwit, c. 45 Snipe and a single Woodcock.
Bittern was observed on a couple of occasions during the week (17th,Haverton Viewpoint and 20th, Wildlife Watchpoint). Often elusive the best approach for anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of a Bittern is to wrap up warm and spend an hour or so looking over the reedbeds at either the Jubilee or Haverton Viewpoint. Whilst at your vantage point you may also witness mass panic amongst the wildfowl caused by a passing Marsh Harrier, hear the high pitched call of a sharming Water Rail or observe the look of sheer determination in the eyes of a hunting Sparrowhawk.
A wintering Bittern was sighted on a couple of occasions this week (Thanks to T.Horne for the photograph taken last year).
Other interesting avian sightings this week included, Whooper Swan (2x, 18th and 1x 19th), 70x Pink-footed Goose (over 19th), 13x Pintail (Saltholme Pools Hide), 1x Red-breasted Merganser, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Phil Stead Hide) and 2x Grey Wagtail.
The red base to the bill indicates that this is a female Kingfisher photographed from the Phil Stead hide during the week (Thanks to Renton Charman for the image).
Finally, as regular readers of Saltholme’s blogs may already know, we have further established that Saltholme is home to a small (but ever increasing) population of Harvest Mice through the discovery of their intricate Ping-Pong ball-sized nests woven in the grassland. This is an excellent finding given the scarce nature of this species in North-East England.
Cheers,
Adam