Back on the
moor after two weeks and there are already further signs of spring including
the welcome arrival of a pair of Garganey. They are one of the smartest looking
ducks and all the better for being rarer and when they are here, elusive and
difficult to see. They seemed to have adopted the reedy pool on the edge of the
Closes, having been there for three days but have not been seen since Sunday
morning.
Garganey pair (c) JR
Other new
arrivals during my absence included small flocks of Dunlin, rather than the
singletons that we have had so far, several Ruff have been seen and at least
two Ringed Plover.
Ringed Plover (c) Badger
There are plenty of suitable pools and scrapes, that will
attract passage waders this spring. Amongst the most easily watched and most
rewarding, at the moment, is the flooded area on the field to the left of the
path as you head towards the second screen, Noke Sides as it is known. There is
a “window” cut into the blackthorn hedge that offers shelter from both the
birds and the wind. This weekend some of the several thousands of Golden Plover
that are still on the moor were feeding and mooching on this field.
Goldies on Noke Sides (c) JR
They are
really beginning to colour up now and developing their distinctive summer
plumage. The Plovers were accompanied by non-resident Lapwings and at times a
flock of seventeen Dunlin. The field and its scrapes are also popular with
Redshanks and there were at least twenty birds there on Saturday and Sunday,
calling and courting. There was also one lone Ringed Plover that could easily
be overlooked.
The Golden
Plover are very restless and easily spooked and at one time on Sunday when they
had flushed from all parts of the reserve the sky seemed full of them. Flocks
were stacked one above another flying in different directions sometimes in neat
chevrons, sometimes in tight starling like flocks and at other times simply
scattered everywhere.
Multi Goldies (c) Top Derek Lane , centre two Mark Chivers and bottom JR
Grey Herons
are breeding both in the reed bed and back again in the stunted oaks in front
of the hide. The nest there has been extended and an “annexe” is now occupied
by another pair. It was excellent to watch the progress of the young birds last
time from newly hatched to fully fledged.
Nestbuilding Herons (c) Derek Lane
A Barn Owl
was seen in the carpark field on Sunday and the Short Eared Owls both here and
at other points around the reserve have been very obliging as they hunt
increasingly in daylight. This is much to the delight of visiting
photographers.
Shorty (c) JR
The finch
feeding programme is continuing and is still pulling in a rich and varied
number of seed eaters. A Brambling on Sunday was feeding on the main feeders
and if it stays around for another couple of weeks should be in full bright
summer plumage.
Resident
Lapwings are tumbling and calling and as I write the RSPB staff are out looking
for the first Lapwing nests. Snipe have started drumming and will probably do
so for the next three months, they can also be heard “chipping” as can Redshank,
after a little while it is possible to tell the two apart, the Redshank a bit
louder, sharper and slightly slower than the Snipe.
Brambling by the feeders (c) Derek Lane
A Chiffchaff
was calling in the carpark field on Sunday and I had hoped to report the first
Wheatear this week but as yet we have not found one. So something to search for
next week.
Short video from the weekend please view at 720p HD
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