Recent Sightings - 16th July 2018
The following sightings were recorded today at Low tide from the reserve at Castle Espie.
It's safe to say the Black-headed gulls have finished nesting now; their numbers have dropped way off and the birds are spending more time away from Castle Espie. However in contrast we now have 5 different Tufted duck families on our reserve! Many of the ducklings are a couple of weeks old ow and our getting quite big. Still abit to go before they lose all of their fluffy down though. Keep an eye out for them on our Main Lake, Freshwater Lagoon and Limestone Lake.
Estuary – visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed Gull 1, Black-tailed Godwit 32
Main lake – visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Mallard 38, Tufted duck 8 + chicks 3 + chicks 2, Black-headed gull 9, Coot 2 + juvenile 1, Moorhen 2, Goldeneye
Shingle bank – visible from Sensory garden, Wadermarsh and Visitor Centre
Black-headed gull 3, Moorhen 2, Mallard 7, Coot 1
Wadermarsh – visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 7, Moorhen 4, Greylag 7, Little Egret 1
Freshwater Lagoon – visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Shelduck juvenile 1, Mallard 1, Black-headed gull 2, Teal 2, Moorhen 1
Saline Lagoon – visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Egret 1, Little Grebe 1
Limestone Lake
Mallard 8, Tufted duck 11 +chicks 4, Little Grebe juvenile 1
Young Black headed Gulls are obvious to spot with their brown plumage. (T. Disley)
Peninsula Field and Saltmarsh
Black-headed Gull 1,
Brickworks
Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Starling, Swallow, House Martin
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Song Thrush, Wood pigeon, Robin, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Black-Cap
Butterflies on the reserve
Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Copper Six-Spot Burnet Moth
