Monday 12th March 0930-1545
Great to be back at the reserve for my first proper visit of 2018 - blown away by the amount of work the Tuesday work parties have got through. Also a first chance to take a prolonged at / from the new North Moors hide - might take a year or two to bed in but it has some real potential and is a real addition to the reserve. The combined sightings of myself and Andy P are as follows:
SAILING POOL
14 GC Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 20 Tufted Duck, 35 Coot, 1 Oystercatcher, Green Woodpecker, small Sand Martin flocking peaking at 9 birds just before midday, Chiffchaff singing intermittently by the steps.
FLASHES
16 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Dunlin (winter plumage), 6 Snipe, 82 Lapwing, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Shelduck, 26 Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, 2 Greylag Geese over, 9 Coot, 10 Moorhen, adult Med Gull, Med x BH Gull hybrid, 2 Raven, Treecreeper showing very well along path in silver birches opposite Hen Pool Hide, 3 Pheasant, 2 Buzzard.
NORTH MOORS
3 Coot, 8 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 2 Moorhen.
MOORS POOL
3 Lapwing, 6 Snipe, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 7 Cormorant, 4 Little Grebe, 3 Shelduck, 33 Shoveler, 36 Teal, 4 Gadwall, 34 Tufted Duck, 14 Pochard, c30 Coot, 6 Moorhen, 2 Herring Gull, 2 LBB Gull, Kestrel, Buzzard, 2 Pheasant behind the east hide.
No sight or sound of any Water Rail; likewise no definitive sighting of any Cetti's Warbler (some possible female type contact calls from the east side of the Moors Pool).