All set for a great Festival of Birds over the weekend
Holden Tower and north end of the Reserve
The White-fronted Geese were showing well this morning with 180 in front of the Holden Tower including the adult Greenland White-fronted. The 140 introduced Barnacle Goose flock also included the now resident injured Brent Goose. The High tide (getting even high over the w/e) pushed all the Wigeon into the floods with at least 2500 mostly in the Tack Piece. The huge flocks of waders are now much more dispersed feeding widely over the reserve, very difficult to get good counts but around 6000 Lapwing, 3000 Golden Plover and 2500 Dunlin. Among them look for around 30 Redshank and 5 Ruff, the 3 Little Stint can be very elusive but look carefully in the center of the Tack Piece or around the Holden Flash even if there are no numbers of Dunlin around they can still be there. The Black Tailed Godwit flock (at least 85 this morning) were moving between the Tack Piece and Bottom new piece fields. The Peregrine was on its usual branch on the edge of the estuary, around 100 Curlew were on the top of the tide and a Cettis showed very well in front of the Stephen Kirk Hide.
Rushy.
The top count of the year for Bewicks Swan this morning with 138 including a handful of newly arrived birds. The afternoon and evening Swan feeds are great at the moment so try and get to one, 16.00 daily and 18.15 for the floodlit feeds open to the public on Saturday and Sunday evenings until the end of February.
Zeiss Hide and South end of the Reserve
The waders are roving around through these areas as well also best area for Teal with 1100 here this morning, No sign of yesterdays Avocet but keep watching. Both Cettis and Water Rail were calling in the reed-bed at the Zeiss Hide but no sign of the elusive Bittern. Lots of evidence (foot prints and spraints) of Otter through the South Finger reed bed so keep your eyes open, the new viewing area along the walkway is a good bet with lots of signs around there. The Bird feeders at the Kingfisher Hide are really buzzing at the moment. Rough estimates are:
Chaffinch 100
Greenfinch 40
Goldfinch 50
Blue Tits 40
Great Tit 30
Also smaller numbers of Reed Bunting, Robin and Dunnock.
South lake
The adult Hybrid Herring X LBB Gull was showing well here. Seven Cormorants included at least two fine summer plumage sinensis birds(European form).
Cranes
Six birds today with loads of activity all week. Love, Romance Sex and Violence, the Martin Smith hide overlooking the Tack Piece is the best spot but keep a look out from the Zeiss Hide and Holden Tower even the fields along the approach road as you arrive are worth a look.
