Recent Sightings - 19th June
The following sightings were recorded by Pete Matchett, Reserve Warden
Our Mute Swan pair are still sitting tight on 5 eggs by the Freshwater Lagoon just as you step out onto the reserve. The female has hardly left the nest since incubation began and the male has very rarely strayed far from her. All being well we should expect to see some cygnets on the first week of July.
Our Black Headed Gull Colony are enjoying a successful breeding season with most chicks now approaching maturity however there are still some late nesters who are still incubating eggs, hopefully all the chicks should be hatched by the beginning of July although it is possible that some of the earlier nesting individuals will go down for a second clutch after their first as reached maturity.
We still appear to have Common Tern on the Saline Lagoon but we are unsure if they are nesting as the vegetation of the island has now grown up around the nests making them near impossible to spot. If they are nesting it would be a first for Castle Espie and they will hopefully draw in other terns in the future.
Main lake – visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Black Headed Gull 700
Greylag 4 - One pair with 5 goslings
Tufty 18
Little grebe 2
Coot 2
Cormorant 2
Shelduck 2
Freshwater lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannog
Black Headed Gull 400
Coot 2
Tufty 9 +10 ducklings
Gadwall 5 +8 ducklings
Mute Swan 2
Wader marsh - visible from Wader marsh lookout
Oystercatcher 500
Shelduck 2
Saline lagoon – visible from Saline lagoon lookout
Black Headed Gull 190
Common Tern 3
Tufty 1
Grey Heron 1
Limestone lake – visible from Limestone pavilion
Little Grebe 2 +1 chick
Tufty 2
Cormorant 1
Peninsula Field/Saltmarsh - visible from the Limekiln Observatory
Shelduck 2
Ringed Plover 1
