Warming up
After a cold few days we've seen a rise in the temperatures today, although not enough overnight to clear all the ice and much of the reserve was still frozen this morning. By early afternoon the Tack Piece was filling up with birds with around 1000 Wigeon dropping in to take advantage of the fresh feeding opportunity.
South Lake Hides
The ice cover remained the same as yesterday, with only half of the deep lake staying as open water. This concentrated the duck and a great variety was on offer including 47 Shoveler, 12 Pintail, 18 Shelduck, 77 Pochard, 12 Gadwall along with hundreds of Mallard and Tufted Duck. The Great Crested Grebe was also present and a drake Wigeon was grazing on the causeway. A total of 61 Lapwing were toughing it out on the ice on the wader scrape.
.
Holden Tower
A very quiet Dumbles with only 203 Barnacle Geese, 6 Lapwing and a single Raven present first thing. Out on the river a flock of 27 Curlew were feeding. Several Cranes started to drop in to the Tack Piece early morning, with a total of 13 to be seen across this field and those to the north. These fields to the north also held the White-fronted Geese for much of the day, but the Pink-footed Goose was seen mid morning on the Tack Piece with the Greylags.
.
Zeiss Hide
The male Goshawk flew over the Top New Piece this morning, but continued south past the Kingfisher Hide towards the canal. The only birds out on the frozen scrape were 71 Lapwing huddled on the island with a single Dunlin and Ruff mixed amongst them. A Cetti's Warbler was very vocal from the reedbed.
.
Kingfisher Hide
The two Little Grebe were busying feeding on the pond with just a pair of Gadwall, pair of Coot and 4 Teal. Out on the Bottom New Piece scrape at least 150 Teal had kept the corner area of open water free of ice.
.
