Recent Sightings - 12th April 2021
The following sightings were taken on Monday from the reserve at Castle Espie on a rising tide. The cold snap seems to have put a pause on many of the birds that would usually be busy nest building at this time of year, but a hint of the sounds of summer can be heard with Willow warbler, Song thrush and Blackcap in full voice around the reserve. Brent geese have again become more visible around the estuary, as they gather in numbers in preparation for their long migration to their breeding grounds. This stage in their yearly cycle is critical, as they use stopovers like Strangford Lough, on their northerly migration, to increase body weight and fuel their onward journey. As climate change is having a profound impact on the Arctic tundra where these birds breed, and the increasing human pressures on their wintering and migration routes, habitats like the mudflats of Strangford Lough are a vital constituent in the species survival. Flocks can be seen feeding on the edge of the tide and roosting on the water near the shore at high tide.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Light-bellied brent goose 156, Black-headed gull 21, Little egret 1, Lesser black-backed gull 1, Curlew 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 12, Little grebe 2, Black-headed gull 38, Moorhen 2, Teal 11, Cormorant 1, Shelduck 7, Grey wagtail 2
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Lesser black-backed gull 1, Black-headed gull 72
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 17, Moorhen 5
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard 5, Black-headed gull 140, Black-tailed godwit 3, Teal 4, Coot 3, Tufted duck 2, Lesser black-backed gull 1, Moorhen 2
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Black-headed gull 82, Moorhen 2
Brickworks
Song thrush 2, Jackdaw 5, Linnet 4
Limestone Lake
Little grebe 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Reed bunting 2, Black-headed gull
Peninsula Field
Jackdaw 1, Meadow pipit 1, Black-headed gull 2, Wood pigeon 2, Mallard 1
Woodland
Song thrush, Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Great tit, Robin, Blue tit, Coal tit, Wood pigeon, Goldcrest, Willow warbler, Jay, Jackdaw, Blackcap, Goldfinch
