The following sightings were taken from the reserve at Castle Espie during a rising tide. The bird of the week this week is the Grey Plover. These birds bred in Arctic Russia and also parts of Canada and the Northern United States. The Grey Plover leaves its breeding grounds from late July to September to migrate south for the winter. Grey Plovers have a global distribution and can be found in almost every country as a passage migrant. Interestingly almost all of the birds which end up overwintering in Australia are female, it is not clear why. During the breeding season they have a black breast and face with a white boarder and a spotted black and white back, over winter they loose their black plumage and develop grey and white underparts. In the Americas its common name is the ‘black-bellied plover’ which reflects that the bird can be seen there in its breeding plumage. They can be confused with Golden Plovers when in a mixed flock, but Grey Plovers have a white wing bar and rump and thicker bills. They forage for invertebrates like worms and crustaceans on beaches and mudflats, they have good eyesight and can be seen running and then stopping to feed. Grey Plovers form large roosts at high tide but are spaced out when feeding.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Brent 2235, Shelduck 10, Little Egret 5, Oystercatcher 171, Curlew 34, Black-headed Gull 32, Common Gull 9, Herring Gull 4, Leser Black-backed Gull 1, Great Black-headed Gull 1, Hooded Crow 1, Grey Plover 15, Eider Duck 51, Great Crested Grebe 13, Cormorant 5, Shag 2
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 57, Gadwall 7, Shoveler 2, Tufted Duck 1, Teal 4, Moorhen 3, Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Rook (flying over), Raven (flying over), Heron (flying over), Jackdaw (flying over)
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 152, Teal 30, Pintail 1, Cormorant 1, Jackdaw 7, Herring Gull 1, Black-headed Gull 1
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed Gull 4, Shelduck 2, Teal 38, Moorhen 1, Redshank 1
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Robin, Grey Heron
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Grebe 5, Hooded Crow 2
Brickworks
Jackdaw 5, Swallow 4
Limestone Lake
Kingfisher 1, Moorhen 2
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Cattle Grazing
Peninsula Field
Cattle Grazing
Woodland
Magpie, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Robin, Jackdaw, Buzzard, Blackbird
Sensory Garden
Long-tailed Tit, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin
