The following sightings were recorded today at Mid to High tide from the reserve at Castle Espie.
We've had a few sightings of one of our more shy species in the past week, Eurasian Teal. The drake ducks are remarkably dashing with their green eye stripes and yellow patches on the tail. Keep an eye out for this small duck on our Main Lake, Freshwater Lagoon and on the Estuary in front of the Brent Discovery hide.
Estuary – visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed Gull 12, Lesser black-backed gull 5, Oystercatcher 276, Little egret 1, Shelduck 2 + chicks 3, Common Tern 1, Eider 4 + Chicks 14
Main lake – visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Mallard 27, Tufted duck 11, Black-headed gull 28, Moorhen 1, Greylag 1, Lesser black-backed gull 1, Shelduck 6, Coot 2
Shingle bank – visible from Sensory garden, Wadermarsh and Visitor Centre
Gadwall 2, Black-headed gull 17, Mallard 4, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Tufted duck 4, Oystercatcher c. 200, Greylag 3
Wadermarsh – visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 46, Shelduck 7, Moorhen 2, Oystercatcher 63, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Freshwater Lagoon – visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Shelduck 2 + young 7, Mallard 23, Coot 3 + chicks 2, Black-headed gull c.150 + many chicks!, Tufted duck 3, Moorhen 2 + chicks 2, Black-tailed Godwit 3, Grey Heron 1, Teal 1
Saline Lagoon – visible from Limekiln observatory
Black-headed gull 4, Little Egret 1, Common Tern 1
Limestone Lake
Tufted duck 2, Little Grebe v1
Peninsula Field and Saltmarsh
Shleduck 1
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Wood pigeon, Robin, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Black-Cap
Butterflies on the reserve
Green-veined white, Small White, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Meadow Brown
