Recent Sightings 17th - 23rd September
Highlights: Weasel, Spoonbill, Pintail, Grass snake
A pleasant surprise on Friday morning's bird count were a family of three Weasels playing and cleaning just in front of the at the British Steel Hide! They can be distinguished from Stoats by the lack of black on the tip of the tail. Another mammal spotted this week on the Millennium Wetlands was a Common Shrew along the centre path, their long noses are an obvious way to determine them from other small mammals.
Spoonbill are still showing well on the Saline Lagoon, alongside Little Egret, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Dunlin. A small flock of 7 Pintail ducks were seen feeding on the Freshwater Lagoon. Around this time of year the males are coming out of eclipse plumage, and will soon regain their darker brown head and upper neck, white breast and lower neck, extending as narrow stripe into brown of head.
Grass Snakes and Slow Worms have been spotted basking in the morning sun close to the paths in the Millennium Wetlands. Grass Snakes can be identified by their green colour and black and yellow collar, whereas Slow Worms are smaller in size and greyish brown in colour.
