Recent Sightings (10th-12th)
Millenium Wetlands
The cold weather has frozen many of the main water bodies used by the wildfowl in the last couple of days. However, dense colonisations of ducks have been seen where there have been cracks in the ice, including over 20 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler and 7 Little Grebes and 2 Heron. 4 Snipe were seen on the Deep Water Lake rocky islands. A Bittern was flushed from the reed beds near the Swans Nest Maze on Wednesday afternoon! Groups of Goldfinches of up to 26 and 4 Greenfinches have been seen as well as a Water Pipit, Reed Bunting, a Jay, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Redwings and a Goldcrest. The Ring Necked Duck is also still using the sight.
British Steel Hide
The NRA/Dafen Scrapes have attracted many ducks with a count of 117 Wigeon, 13 Tufted duck, 53 Greylag Geese, 2 Teal, and 47 Black-tailed Godwits . Two Spoonbills were seen on the saline lagoons, along with 477 Dunlin, 64 Black-tailed Godwits, 9 Lapwing, 1 Spotted Redshank, 7 Greenshank, 12 Redshank and 65 Black-headed Gulls. A Great White Egret was seen on 10th. Other species also include Grey Heron, 3 Little Egret, 2 Buzzard, 31 Shelduck and 14 Cormorant. A kingfisher has darted through the marsh, as well as 4 Bullfinch, 2 Stonechat and a Merlin.
