Just been over to stay with the outlaws on the east coast for the weekend _ very hot, but managed to do Far Ings, the superb reserve under the Humber Bridge on both Saturday and Sunday morning...
The reserve - reedbeds, lagoons and hawthorn on the banks of the muddy old Humber is superb at this time of year - okay nothing mega, but purring Turtle Doves, booming Bitterns, Cuckoos, Kingfishers and at least six species of warblers pressed my buttons.
Oh yeah, and Marsh Harriers breed too.
A few Blue Tailed Damselfly, Four Spot Chasers and common butterfly species were greatto watch basking in the sun..
Tried to get pix of the Turtle Doves, but they were too shy - they'd purr away on a wire overhead, but as soon as you edged in, the birds would just drop down into the hawthorns and out of sight - quite frustrating!
This Willow Warbler was a bit more obliging....
Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedgies etc were all singing and the Cuckoos were showing well - obviously using the high density of Reed Warbler nests to raise their young.
Great reserve to wander about, looking at the flowers, listening to the birds and shooting the breeze...ahh....
It has also got breeding Willow Tit, Bearded Tit and Water Rails etc, and when I've visited in winter, Smew, Waxwing and even Red Necked Grebe have all popped up.
Superb site....map now follows, courtesy of the leaflet I pinched from the LIncolnshire WIldlife Trust....
Just down the track the rapidly drying lagoons at Barton held Ringed Plover and Avocet with young - but apparently the seawall is being breached here llater this year over a 400m length to create a sexy saltmarsh - sounds like brilliant habitat in the future.
Anyway, now I'm home, and I believe things are pretty quiet after the excitement of the Black Stork in the week - has anyone been out?
What's happening on the local patch????
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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John,
Managed a few hours at the marsh each evening over the hot weekend. On Saturday I counted 400+ redshank throughout the reserve and marsh. With the water level dropping a bit and the mud thickening a lot of birds have moved in front of Nels where its still very wet. Last night the single drake Garganey was still around, as was the Turnstone, 70 -odd Avocet, 148 Black-tailed Godwits (one colour-ringed that was there Friday appears to be Icelandic on first checking), a couple of Wigeon, plenty of Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Pochard, Barnacle Geese, Lapwing, Mute Swan. A solitary Dunlin in front of Nels on Saturday, but last night there were a dozen or more around 9pm on the big scrape at the back of Marshside 2, including a bird not in summer plumage with an injured leg (John Bannon id'd this for me) - this reminds me of the bird in front of Sandgrounders a fair few weeks ago with these same characteristics. Similarly, a one-legged Blackwit in front of Sandgrounders appears to be thriving. Some Avocet and Blackwit were on Marshside 2, along with a couple of Ruff.
The Kestrel in the sandplant is still there. Throughout the site are plenty of linnet, skylark, pipits, pied wagtail, sedge warbler and common whitethroat. Seven Grey Heron yesterday evening, including two juveniles.
The nearest thing I saw to either Red Kite or Black Stork were the three muppets on powered paragliders overflying the marsh last evening a couple of times, very low, putting lots of birds to flight. Small arms to the skies?
Never mind small arms, it's surface to air with heatseeking stingers, that's what we need. Ta SiG
Should have mentioned the Little Gull were still around. And I always forget to mention Oystercatchers and Skylark, don't know why - perhaps I need to start writing things down ...