Sightings

Main sighting: Bittern , Waders and Peregrine

Visit at low tide , a little after sunrise.
Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers whilst walking along the entrance lane. The undergrowth was full of small birds – Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits.
Monks Lagoons had a small wader flock mainly located opposite hide 2 – 10 x Black Tailed Godwits, 7 x Ruff, 1 x Dunlin,1 x Snipe , 1 x Juve Ringed Plover, 20 C Lapwings, 2 x Curlews and 20 c Redshank. Ducks – mainly teal, shoveler and some gadwall.
Early on a Peregrine Falcon swooped in and chased the waders. On reviewing my pics I have noted that it is a ringed bird but despite cropping the pics I cant read them.
Later in the morning a Bittern took flight from the Becs passed the seawall hide and landed in the reeds on Priors Lagoon.
On Priors lagoon one thing I noticed was a Little Grebe feeding its chick.
On the sea wall a Wheatear was showing nicely and on the mud were 2 x Whimbrels.
Out in the waters of the Estuary was a Common Dolphin that a number of visitors were watching.

Main sighting: Ring-necked Paraket

Working on the castle and saw it flying about 8metres high over a grass field. Swooped up into tree and was lost. Distinctive screech call made once. Am familiar with the bird from London.

Main sighting: Bittern

At 1030 two Bitterns flew over the reedbeds and landed in the corner just to the right of Snipe platform (seen from Hide 3). Could not be seen from Snipe platform. About 30 minutes after the original sighting one Bittern flew in across the fields to land out of sight close to Hide 1.
Waders about included seven Ruff and one Bar-tailed Godwit.
Two Spotted Flycatchers around the entrance to the reserve and a Kingfisher on the reen.

Main sighting: Wader mix and bittern update

|Morning visit, 59 species. En-route to hides: 104 starlings on wire with a juv yellow wagtail mixed in, woodpigeons, goldfinches, blue tits, crows, blackbirds, moorhen, cettis, chaffinch, wren, magpie, 5 house martins and green woodpecker. Hide two – 1 greenshank, 15 swallows, 17 redshanks, 8 ruff, 6 black-tailed godwits, 68 teal, mallards, 3 herons, black-headed gulls, 1 green sandpiper, herring gulls, 7 gadwall, 9 lt egrets, pied wagtails, 2 more juv yellow wagtails, magpie, 2 curlew, 1 chiffchaff, raven, Canada geese, 9 sand martins, meadow pipit, 1 buzzard, willow warbler, 18 knot (one in sumer plumage), 1 spotted redshank, 1 little stint, 1 curlew sandpiper, 48 ringed plovers, 76 lapwing, ls black-backed gulls, 3 dunlin, 2 turnstone, greylags and linnets. Snipe platform – pair of pintail, 15 swans, family group lt grebes (no sign of tufted family), 10 more teal and 5 more gadwall and fem marsh harrier. Seawall – 60 oystercatchers (good number), gt black-backed gull and 105 shelduck. Hide 3 – 25 more teal, stonechat pair and 5 snipe which flew over to lagoon 2. Extra: From hide 2, left corner, bittern is showing now and again but staying well-tucked in.

Main sighting: Hoopoe

A hoopoe has been in my garden on & off for two days

Main sighting: Wood Sandpiper

WeBS count today. Further to the posting by Blair. Wood Sandpiper from the first hide. Also Avocet 2 Knot 6 (one in BP) Greenshank 1

Main sighting: Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper

Morning visit just after dawn – Monks Lagoon was busy with waders –
6 x Ruff, 1 x Common Sandpiper, 1 x Green Sandpiper,20 + Black Tailed Godwits, 10+ Redshank Mixed flock of 50+ Dunlin and Ringed Plover feeding on the mud – contained 2 x Turnstone, 1 x Curlew Sandpiper and 1 x Little Stint.
Large flock of 50+ Shoveler and Teal.
7 x Little Egrets, 1 x Marsh Harrier came in quite close to Hide 2.
Chiffchaff near Hide 1 . 6 x Mute Swans.
other 1 x Jersey. Tiger Moth

Main sighting: Marsh Tit

First on bird table for well over a year, usually regular in colder months but not last winter. Breeds locally (juvenile seen last year). Starlings (up to 30) and House Sparrows most numerous table users at present.

Main sighting: tufted duck

Fairly quiet this morning.1-Ruff in with a small 25+flock of Lapwings,1-Bittern flying between reed beds.Also a family group of eight well grown Tufted Ducklings with their mother on the small lagoon alongside the fence between the sea wall view point and sea wall hide.

Main sighting: Hobby

Hobby made a low level pass over the moor, then soared and circled. Three Whinchats, two Tree Pipits but only one Wheatear.

Main sighting: Hobby

Hobby over The Narth once more at 11.30 this morning among Hirundines.

Main sighting: Bittern

Good numbers of waders from the first two hides this morning,especially Dunlins and Ringed Plovers.Also 1-Greenshank,1-Ruff,1-Spoonbill,1-Snipe,1-Whinchat and a Bittern which must have been unnoticed between the second hide and the waters edge flew up and around before coming to land to the left of the sea wall hide.11h10-12h50