Hello,
Spring is in the air this week with the woodland dawn chorus building featuring Song thrushes, Chaffinches, Robins and Blackbirds singing away.
Car Park / Visitor Centre / Woodlands
The bird feeding area has been very busy as enter the hungry period, the time when natural food supplies are at their lowest.
The are a number of Brambling around the trees along with Chaffinches, Goldcrests, Blue tits, Great tits and Siskins.
Two Siberian chiffchaffs continue to be seen around the Meadow trail along with Common chiffchaffs.
Early morning visitors have been treated to a Barn owl quartering the fields along the East Trail and on the grazing marsh.
Siberian chiffchaff - Phill Gwilliam
Reedbed
Within the reedbed the open water areas are hosting small flocks of Tufted duck, Pochard, Shoveler and Gadwall, a careful scan and you might pick out a Goldeneye which occasionally appears on the reedbed pool.
The sound of a laughing Little grebe have begun to be heard this week and there are an increasing number of Cetti’s warblers blasting out their song. However, the Bearded tits remain very elusive.
Marsh harrier - Phill Gwilliam
Freshmarsh
This week we have been tweaking the water levels which has resulted in a small increase in the number of waders on the Freshmarsh.
In the compartments where the water levels are higher there are Pintails, Shovelers, Teal, Gadwall and Dark-bellied brent geese.
Along the bunds and islands there has been 2000 Golden plover and 600 Lapwing, whilst on the muddy edges you can find 50+ Dunlin, Turnstones, Ringed plovers and Oystercatchers. There are also about 8 Black-tailed godwits probing the mud for food. On Wednesday 9 February the Avocet numbers increased to 48, a sign that spring is on its way.
Another sign of spring here, is the return of the Mediterranean gulls, one has been spotted this week.
Avocet - Les Bunyan
Volunteer / Tidal marsh
Amongst the saltmarsh vegetation there has been Shelducks, Wigeon, Redshanks and Grey plover. A Spotted redshank has also been regular this week in this area.
On the saltmarsh there have been flocks of Linnets, a few Rock pipits, Meadow pipits and the odd Water pipit on the Freshmarsh.
Spotted redshank - Les Bunyan
Beach / sea
It has been a quiet week on the sea this week with very little reported however there has been Eider, Goldeneye, Red-breasted mergansers, Common scoter, Great-northern diver and flocks of Pink-footed geese heading back north towards their breeding grounds.
On the beach there was a flock of 30 Snow Buntings on Tuesday 8 February
Eider - Les Bunyan
Report your sightings
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For more information follow the link https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack