More voices in the choir.

A sunny day at Blacktoft Sands but quite a breeze which kept the temperature on the cool side.  As I walked over the flood bank and onto the reserve I could hear lots of bird song. Earlier in the month the loud sound of cetti's warbler would be the dominant sound. Chiffchaffs then added their song along with one or two blackcaps joining in. Today the sedge warblers are now in full voice so everyone in the "choir" has to sing a bit louder to be heard. Cetti's, chiffchaff, blackcap, dunnock, sedge warbler, reed bunting and chaffinch were all to be heard as I walked along the path towards Marshland.

 About 50 avocets were on the lagoon, but very few black headed gulls, so no competition for a space on the islands.

The konic ponies were grazing at the far end of the reserve, but no yellow wagtails today.

Ousefleet lagoon is now dry, so the vegetation should now be able to grow ready for the returning wildfowl in Autumn.

Time to open up the visitor centre and a couple of visitors reported seeing 9 cranes in a stubble field near Swinefleet. They reported this to RareBird Alert. About an hour later the cranes, which I believe come from Thorne Moor, flew over. 

Later in the afternoon 2 cranes flew east.

Greylag geese are now acting as a team to defend goslings as they come under attack from harriers.