Sightings

Main sighting: Egrets

Ls black-backed gulls, 4 chiffchaffs, jackdaws, crows, stonechat, 2 cettis, buzzards, wren, woodpigeons, 3 gadwall, 2 swans, 9 herons, 11 lt egrets, robin, moorhen, gt tit, blue tit, mallards, male lt grebe, blackbirds, pheasant, gt spotted woodpecker and goldfinch.

Main sighting: Stonechat

Wrens, rooks, blackbirds, buzzards, goldfinches, dunnock, greenfinch, chiffchaffs, woodpigeons, chaffinch, cettis, jay, robin, blue tit, ls black-backed gulls, pheasant, mallards, mute swans, crows, moorhen, gt tit, siskin, song thrush, stonechat and starling.

Main sighting: Sparrowhawks

2 female sparrowhawks fighting high over Wyesham Avenue

Main sighting: Sandmartins

6 sandmartins

Main sighting: Garganey

Pair of Garganey watched on the back off Monk’s lagoon between 16.20 and 16.40. Male was chasing the female which took refuge in the rushes, where later joined by the male. Also present on the lagoon were 8 Shelduck, 46 Shoveler, 57 Wigeon, 8 Mallard, 41 Teal, 1 Stock Dove , 16 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Lapwing, 31 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe , 11 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron. Female Marsh Harrier hunting along sea wall. 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Skylark and a Cetti’s Warbler in song

Main sighting: Sandmartins

6 sandmatrtins

Main sighting: Sparrowhawk

Female sparrowhawk and a buzzard soaring high over village pm

Main sighting: wader passage

High to ebb tide walk gave a small wader passage of 3 flocks of knot numbering from 12 to 50 birds, including 18 birds with 22 turnstone and single dunlin, several pairs of oystercatchers, 10 wigeon. Other birds of note inc little egret, raven, cettis, chiffchaff, long tailed tit and gsw.

Main sighting: Hybrid mallards

Two male hybrid mallards with white bibs and brown bodies. probably the same two birds that visited this time last year. Very attractive birds and nice to see with their normal cousins.

Main sighting: Long tailed duck

Marsh Harrier (fem) – good numbers of Avocet (20+) + Blk tailed godwit (20+)
Spotted Redshank Unfortunately two people two people walked along the back of the reserve and put every thing up, muddy conditions very difficult. I only went as far as the Snipe platform, where the Long Tailed duck was……….

Main sighting: Curlew

Heard the curlew call whilst riding a bike towards Newchurch and Devauden travelling east. Saw a single curlew fly overhead south of the lane. Returned two hours later with husband Andy and walked on the field footpath south. We heard the curlew again and saw it fly northwards

Main sighting: Chiffchaffs

En-route to hides – chaffinch, magpies, crows, wren, gt tits, blackbirds, pheasant, chiffchaff in full song, herring gulls, woodpigeons, cettis, ls black-backed gulls, light-morph buzzard, collard doves and gt spotted woodpecker. Hide one – Canada geese, pair of marsh harriers, 62 black-tailed godwits, 2 herons, 1 lt egret, 62 teal, 65 wigeon, 2 oystercatchers, 2 pairs lapwing, 56 avocet, 22 shoveler, skylarks, 23 redshanks, 4 coot, 14 gadwall, 2 swans, 24 greylags, mallards, 2 cormorants and a raven. En-route to hide 2 – 2 fieldfares, goldcrest, moorhen, 2nd chiffchaff, robin, 11 starlings with a single redwing mixed in. Hide two – stonechat pair, goldfinch and 2 snipe. En-route to platform – male reed bunting in full song. Snipe platform – long tailed duck, blue tits, 4 male and 4 female tufteds and 2 lt grebes. Hide three – 29 curlew (very high tide so the salt marsh was covered), 62 shelduck, 1 ringed plover, meadow pipits, pied wagtail and 2 more egrets.