Wednesday, 30 April 2025

LWT Gibraltar Point

 


The fourth and final stop on my weekend in Lincolnshire.
As we were looking at the notice board, we met the reserve warden. He had just completed the monthly WEBS count. He had seen thousands of knot, a long eared owl and lots of warblers, so we set off with high hopes of a good days birding.
Near the toilet and visitor centre we had excellent views of a Wheatear.


A Meadow pipit was busy hunting

We walked down to the Wash viewpoint. On the way we saw a swallow. It was perched on the top of a boat, which the warden told us is not a boat but a swallows nest!
Near the viewpoint were Brent geese.
They were not bothered about us being close. We passed this Little tern colony on the way.
They are made from all the litter that visitors leave behind.

After a while we slowly walked back along the track and followed the cycle path to the first hide.
We heard several warblers as we strolled through the plantation but only managed to see blue and great tits. The first hide we visited looks over Jackson's Marsh, from here we saw a pair of Greenshank feeding and 3 deer, which we think are Muntjac.
On our way to the next hide we heard and saw chaffinch, goldfinch and greenfinch.
The middle hide affords a view over Croftmarsh, as well as Jackson's Marsh and Tennyson's Sand. As we looked to our left we could see a Great white egret on Jackson's Marsh, now we had left the hide!
As we walked towards the last hide a Buzzard and a Marsh harrier flew overhead.
We then crossed the road and followed Mill Pond Road.
The hide overlooking The Mere had Lesser and Greater Black-backed gulls. & Curlew flew over, but decided not to land and flew off towards the coast. The hide overlooking the Fenland Pool had no new birds for our list.

This was our view from Mill Hill viewpoint. People were walking on the sands and several were paddling in the sea. We were unable to see any birds on the beach, so we followed the path back to the visitor centre. We were glad to have made that decision as we passed a notice informing us that due to coastal erosion there was no way along the beach to reach the visitor centre.
We ended the day with 45 birds on our day list and a total of 68 for the weekend.
Good weather and excellent company.


Saturday, 26 April 2025

RSPB Frampton Marsh

Day two of our weekend was spent at Frampton Marsh. Before lunch we explored the Reed bed trail first.
After lunch we then explored the other part of the reserve. As we walked along the path to the Wash, this Sedge warbler sand to us from the top of some reeds.

There were lots of Brent geese on the reserve, and some had landed near the flood bank so we continued our walk to have a closer look. Some were feeding others were making a noise, not long now before they head for the Arctic Circle.

We walked along the top of the floodbank, and could just see the Wash in the distance. As we climbed down the steps back onto the reserve we saw 2 Yellow wagtails. They were too far away for a decent shot.
East hide was our next stop and on our way there we saw a single whooper swan, We learned later from staff in the visitor centre that although it could fly about the reserve, they think it has a damaged wing, and could not fly back to Iceland. From the path we could see Mediterranean gulls among the many black-headed gulls. We also added ruff, black-tailed godwit, shoveler, gadwall and teal to our day list from the hide, Reedbed hide was the second hide we visited and we were able to add pochard to our list, plus sand martins. There is a sand martin bank to the left of the hide and plenty of birds were visiting it.
Some sand martins were gathering vegetation from the bank near the footpath.



The 360 degree hide was our last hide stop and Barbara found a single pink-footed goose to add to our day list. I was the last of our group to leave the hide and saw a juvenile little gull fly over the lagoon, another year tick. On our way back to the visitor centre a pair of Little-ringed plovers were displaying.



A bit further along on the same mud bank, a Ruff was feeding.



After a visit and a chat to staff in the visitor centre we returned to the hotel. I went to Freiston Shore for about an hour. The high tide had just about covered the saltmarsh and lots of dunlin and turnstones were on the reserve as was this common tern.


On my way back to the car park I came across these two magpies having a fight.





Friday, 25 April 2025

RSPB Freiston Shore

 



After seeing the cranes at Willow Tree Fen, I drove to Freiston Shore to join the other members of RSPB York Local Group.
Lots of Brent geese, my first of the year. Avocets were flying about making a lot of noise as they chose their nesting spot. There is still a lot of work going on, prior to the installation of toilets this summer.


It will be a brilliant spot when finished. After sitting in the hide for a while we walked along the floodbank.
Somewhere out there is the Wash. I returned at another time and the high tides had filled the marsh.

The high tides forced more birds onto the reserve including Turnstone and Dunlin. A common tern was having a bath.




A good start to our weekend with 31 birds on our day list. 


Willow Tree Fen, updated version

 



Long weekend bird watching in Lincolnshire. My first stop was at Willow Tree Fen. An excellent facility organised by Lincolnshire Wildlife trust.
As I waited for the car park to open I saw 8 cranes flying over the area. Once I had parked inside and was able to stand at the viewing point I could see 2 cranes feeding on my left. They had 2 young, which I could just about see in the long grass.





Monday, 21 April 2025

Greenshanks at RSPB Blacktoft Sands

 


Easter Sunday at Blacktoft. I started at Ousefleet, where there is still a lot of water left over from the recent flood. Shelduck,avocet, teal, pochard, black-tailed godwit, greylag geese with young, little grebes and six Konic ponies.




Cetti's warbler shouting as I walked back along the path towards Marshland hide. Chiffchaffs were singing but are now difficult to see due to the amount of leaves on the trees. Sedge warblers are singing but are remaining towards the bottom of the reeds. One lady visitor managed to get an excellent photo of a sedge warbler perched at the top of the reeds.

Avocets, teal and godwits on Marshland.


Reedling lagoon has become a mute swan domain. A pair have made a nest just inside the reedbed and the male chases most birds away. Some of the ducks have taken to feeding in the ditch in front of reception hide and a little egret is often on the banks of the ditch.

A snipe was busily feeding in front of 1st hide.


A good mix of geese and ducks on Townend and Singleton lagoons, with bitterns providing the background music, while marsh harriers interacted with each other.

Time to open the reception hide and welcome Emma, this weeks residential volunteer. A steady stream of visitors came to see what the reserve has to offer, and they all left after having a good day. Catherine made her first visit for a while, it was good to see her, she soon had 50 different birds on her list.

Gerald, who volunteers at Old Moor rang to say that he had seen a white wagtail from Townend hide.

At 4 pm when the reception hide closed, Emma and I had a walk to some of the hides. On our way to Marshland hide we met 2 regular visitors from Leeds, who told us that they had seen 2 greenshanks at Ousefleet, so off we went.



The grrenshanks were on the far left of the lagoon, so not a good photo, but still year tick 133.

We then returned to Marshland hide. This grey heron was just to the right of the hide.


A single male wigeon



male shoveler


No sign of any godwits but we could just see the barn owl in its box. We then walked down to Townend lagoon in the hope of seeing the white wagtail that Gerald reported, and I managed a fleeting glance before it flew off. Time to lock up after another pleasant day on the reserve.
 

Saturday, 19 April 2025

Easter Saturday at NDC

 

 Water levels are slowly going down, especially close to Garganey hide. This lapwing was the closest bird
At the far end of the reserve, near the sand martin wall were lots of greylag geese. Some had young with them. In the same area were 2 Egyptian geese, several sheldsucks and lots of teal.Cormorants were sitting on the top of fence posts, before flying to the River Derwent to fish.

On the open stretches of water, shoveler, mallard and gadwall were feeding along with 8 wigeon.

Lapwings were constantly chasing away carrion crows. After an hour in Garganey hide I strolled back to the Geoff Smith hide.


The flower meadow is slowly growing and has lots of colour in it, which was attracting linnets.

Chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcaps were singing from the trees along the footpath.


I was surprised to see that the swan nest was empty. I presumed that the 2 birds on the water were the ones that built the nest. After feeding for a while they started courting.


Firstly they both made the same neck movements.


Then the male climbed on top of the female.

then they did a dance similar to great crested grebes.
Shortly afterwards they flew off.
A kestrel hovered just outside the hide before dropping into the grass. However it did not catch anything.Meanwhile a coot just sat on its nest.

Two swallows were busy flying about trying to catch insects, which I guess were not coming out into the cold wind.