Ducklings
Great to see good numbers of ducklings on the reserve
After a couple of poor seasons it has been encouraging to see numbers of duck broods on the reserve, most notable are the Gadwall and Shoveler but Shelduck, Tufted Duck and Mallard have been well represented despite many being taken by Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The Top New Piece is busy with the fleet south of the Zeiss Hide hosting broods of 3, 3, 3 and 8 Gadwall, one brood are almost full size but haven't yet grown wings, the rest are all fluffy. A Tufted Duck is also rearing young here.
Although ducklings can be encountered just about anywhere on site the other real hotspots are the South Lake with broods of 2 and 3 Shoveler and 3, 6 and 7 of Gadwall and the Rushy with a few Tufted Duck and Shelduck broods and two broods of Gadwall. One brood of 14 Shelduck were still viewabel from Middle Point when feeding in the low tide mud.
Other highlights today included the following.
Tack Piece
The adult Spotted Redshank In the channel early morning with 8 Lapwing, 1 Little-ringed Plover and 5 Green Sandpiper.
Rushy
Breeding Little-ringed Plovers with two young, a few Avocet with young, broods of Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Shelduck with Green Sandpipers and Black-tailed Godwits visiting during the day.
Middle Point
Now open again as we have had no sign or sound of the male Bluethroat for a week or so.
Four Sanderling were seen on the rising tide with 53 Curlew on the low tide mudflats N of the point and 47 South of the point including a head started bird, 6 Redshank flew inland as the tide flooded as did 400+ Black-headed Gull.
South Lake
Great wader watching with nine Little-ringed Plover, six Green Sandpiper, one Common Sandpiper, 15 Redshank, two Dunlin, three Avocet (pair with chick), 44 Lapwing, 90 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Oystercatcher, adult breeding plumage Spotted Redshank and two male Ruff.
62 Gadwall + females with broods of 3, 7 and 6, at least 8 Shoveler included females with broods of 2 and 3, two female Wigeon, drake Chiloe Wigeon hybrid, female Pochard, escaped or released female Cape Shelduck, 2 Little Grebe, 50+ fledged Black-headed Gull and pair of nesting Common Tern on South raft.
Top New Piece
Possibly three broods of Redshank (one 3/4 grown chick, a leggy brood of two, and three small) + two fully fledged young that have flown in from another part of the reserve. A further increase to 13 Dunlin, at least 3 Little-ringed Plover were also on the mud with godwits, Greenshank and Spotted Redshank also visiting. Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron and 24 Teal also noted.
