Spring is in the air at Welney
Across the whole site at Welney you can now see and hear Spring getting into full swing with our breeding waders displaying. Look out for lapwing, redshank, snipe, little ringed plover and black-tailed godwits. Other waders passing through include hundreds of Icelandic black-tailed godwits using the reserve to feed up and ruff starting to come into their breeding plumage. The ruff won't be long before they start to lek, which is where they display how well their plumage looks to other birds. Our duck species are also looking for nesting sites and mates, these include, teal, mallard, shoveler, gadwall, tufted duck and garganey. The first swallows flew past last night too!
Main observatory
Little ringed plover - 1 pair displaying
Avocet - up to 10 pairs trying to claim territories
Black-tailed godwits - 80 feeding in the shallow water
Ruff - 10 feeding in the mud at the water's edge
Great crested grebe - pair doing courtship dances
Reedbed hide/dragonfly ponds
Marsh harrier pair displaying
Redpoll - 1
This will be a good area to listen for the first reed and sedge warblers over the coming days.
Nelson-Lyle hide
Garganey - 1 (male)Black-headed gulls displaying
Lyle hideAvocet
Little grebe (singing)
Mute swan pair making a next along the footpath
Friends hide
Avocet
Best hide to hear snipe drumming
