The following sightings were taken from the reserve at Castle Espie during a rising tide. The bird of the week this week is the Wigeon. The birds seen on Strangford Lough and Castle Espie reserve are Eurasian Wigeons, there are two other species which are found in the Americas. Both male and female Wigeons have a white belly which can be seen in flight, females have brown feathers, and the male has a pinkish breast, with a grey back, chestnut head with a yellow forehead stripe. These ducks are present all year round in the UK, but their numbers are boosted significantly in winter months by migrants from Scandinavia and Russia. Wigeons make a nice whistling call and they will dabble in the water for aquatic plants and graze short grass. Until 2009, they were in the same genus as Mallards and Teals, but genetic analysis of their mitochondrial DNA led scientists to split up this genus, and Wigeons were reclassified in the Mareca genus which also contains the Gadwall. In Greek Mythology, Penelope, who was the daughter of Icarius, was thrown into the sea by her father who wanted a son. The story describes her rescue by a group of Wigeons, their Latin name Mareca Penelope reflects this.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Brent 362, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1, Black-headed Gull 18, Eider Duck 31, Herring Gull 1, Redshank 87, Curlew 14, Wigeon 34, Oystercatcher c.250, Hooded Crow 1, Shelduck 1, Little Egret 4, Great Crested Grebe 4, Grey Plover 6, Dunlin 16, Glossy Ibis 1, Gadwall 2, Great Black-backed Gull 2, Red Breaster Merganser 6, Turnstone 5, Greenshank 9, Teal 35, Cormorant 10, Common Gull 3
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 71, Gadwall 2, Moorhen 1, Tufted Duck 1 (female), Kingfisher 1, Pintail 1 (female), Teal 2, Little Grebe 1, Coot 1, Wigeon 1 (female), Dunnock, Blackbird, Coal Tit, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Robin, Rook, Hooded Crow 5, Jackdaw 3, Great Tit
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 17, Black-tailed Godwit 48, Cormorant 1, Moorhen 2, Teal 1, Little Egret 5, Wigeon 1 (male)
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Moorhen 5, Mallard 4, Teal 40, Black-headed Gull 3
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Moorhen 1, Mallard 4, Gadwall 2, Teal 29, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Robin
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Grebe 5, Kingfisher 1, Heron 1, Goldfinch
Brickworks
Robin, Magpie 2, Hooded Crow 1, Jackdaw 12
Limestone Lake
Moorhen 3, Black-headed Gull 22 (flying over), Woodpigeon
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Cattle Grazing
Peninsula Field
Cattle Grazing
Woodland
Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch
Sensory Garden
Robin, Blue Tit, Grey Wagtail
