Birding on the reserve today
I arrived with temperature at 0 degrees, at 1.30pm it read 22 degrees in the sun and the SE breeze was barely discernible.
As the work party started(details later) the 5
avocet flew on to the SW marsh islands and 6
jacks and 4 common snipe flew from the west bank juncus patch. The duck all swam up to the north end and
water rail were more vociferous than ever.
Redpoll were singing along the east side and the
reed bunting's excuse of a song was heard from all the reed beds. At least 2 singing mistle thrushes were singing, with double the amount of song thrushes out doing them.
After the work party I visited the Flashes were the raucous
BHG, were only out shouted by a serial 'moaner' - complaining about work that has been done and what should have been done, luckily for him it was not in my ear shot.:C
Anyway to more interesting things, such as the 'returning '
avocet. The seven birds were regularly calling and a bit of 'jousting' also took place. There were signs that the food supply was emerging as the teal flock were all 'upending' - this in stark contrast to 12 months ago when there were no invertebrates in the 2nd Flash at all. A
green sand also fed along the 'spit' shoreline and 11
curlews fed in the sewage meadow.
Back to the Moors this evening with Tony H in the east hide. The ducks all gathered in their single species groups, making counting easy. Again water rail performed with at least 3 in Amy's either flying swimming or feeding as well as others calling. A flock of calling
redwing landed in the eastern hedge row, accompanied by a couple of song thrushes. Then at 5.52pm I noticed a pale shape in the north reeds perched on a dead stump, the Bittern hadn't gone then. After a couple of minutes it did a quick 20 metre loop and then crashed into the reeds out of sight.
Species count
MOORS:
GCG 4, little grebe 2, mute swan 2, cormorant 5, greylag, shoveler 12 (5 prs + 2 male), Teal 12, shelduck male, gadwall 7 (3 prs +male), Pochard 20 (17 male), tufted 47, water rail 10+, Jack snipe 6, common snipe 5, lapwing 60, oystercatcher 3, BHG 300, LBBG pr, green woodpecker, mistle thrush 2, song thrush 6, redwing 25, fieldfare 2, redpoll 3,
species count
FLASHES:
Teal 47, mallard 10, shelduck male, coot 10, lapwing 150, curlew 11, avocet 7, green sand, BHG 350, green woodpecker, stock dove 5,
SAILING POOL :
GCG 11, Tufted pr
B
John
forgot to add
pipistrelle bat was flying around at 1pm over the east track and again this evening. Two small tortoishell flew over the pool island midday
