Hello,
I feel like I say this a lot, but it has been another great week on the reserve for some bird watching, with a good selection of birds all across the reserve.
Car Park / Visitor Centre / Woodlands
The Siberian chiffchaff continues to sighted around the meadow trail along with a couple of common chiff chaffs. The tops of the trees are alive with the flocks of goldfinches chattering away to one another. Bullfinches, chaffinches, greenfinches, blackbirds, great spotted woodpecker and robins are all putting in regular appearances unlike the woodcocks, which are around but are proving to be elusive. Small numbers of siskins and bramblings are appearing around the bird feeders and the water rail is regulalry sighted in the ditch by the west bank path.
Reedbed
The star of the show this week has been the bittern which has providing some amazing views for visitors. It was observed catching a large rudd in front of the screen at Patsy's and creeping across the reedbed channel that is viewable from the west bank path and flying over peoples' heads. With other RSPB reserves reporting their first booming bitterns of the year this week, hopefully we will be hearing the boom of ours very soon.
As well as the bittern, the great white egret continues to put in a regular appearance and there are at least 10 marsh harriers, If it is a nice look look up to the sky and you might spot the make sky dancing. A ringtail hen harrier continues to roost on the saltmarsh, regularly being seen first thing in the morning.
Along the cut reed on Patsy's at least 9 snipe have been counted feeding and roosting in this area. Ducks using this area and the wider reedbed included gadwall, pochard and tufted duck.
Bittern - Sue Bryan
Freshmarsh
On the freshmarsh there are 16 avocets, along with varying numbers of golden plover, lapwing, dunlin, ringed plover and a couple of ruff.
This week we have seen an increase in wildlfowl, many appear to be appreciating the removal of the old predator fence, which now makes the large island much more accessible for them. The teal are whistling to one another and the shoveler have begun to display and a couple of pintail have been bobbing around.
Volunteer / Tidal marsh
Down on the tidal marsh there have been bar tailed godwits, black-tailed godwits, oystercatchers and avocets, especially on the high tides. The wigeon are often on here grazing the vegetation and a peregrine is a daily occurrence. A spotted redshank has been spotted in several places across the reserve so keep your eyes peeled and the grey plover are lurking amongst the vegetation on the volunteer marsh.
Wader roost - Phill Gwilliam
Beach / sea
With wrecks of shellfish on the beach the large numbers of waders and gulls feeding continues.
In particular there are several hundred oystercatchers, along with turnstones, sanderlings, dunlin, bar-tailed godwits and the odd knot.
On the sea a goosander flew past on 3 February, other birds on the sea this week have included eider, common scoter, goldeneye, great crested grebe, fulmar and red-breasted merganser.
Common scoter - Phill Gwilliam
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