Monday 17 August 2015

More glorious mud

Its all about mud at the minute with most of the focus upon North Lagoon which has been pulling in an array of species on autumn passage.  Perhaps the highlight has been little stint found by Chris Straw on the 5th.  But daily there have been up to 8 green sandpipers - 4 tonight with a ringed plover:
5 common sandpipers - Roy Vincent:
4 ruff - Roy Vincent:
4 greenshank - Roy Vincent:
And Colin Powell:
And 2 dunlin and 6 snipe.  2 wood sandpipers arrived on the 14th and have been present daily since - wandering past a little egret here:
More good shots on Erich's blog here.  Little egrets still finding some food - Roy Vincent:
Along with grey heron - Roy Vincent:
And mute swan hanging on by Keaton Roebuck:
Other uncommon waders also included this pied wagtail which has been among 5 greys:
We also had a fox wading in front of the hide this afternoon and roe deer struggling through by Cameron Thomson:


6 black tailed godwit were on South Marsh East on the 5th. 2 ringed plover on 8th and 5 snipe on Hempholme Meadow the 6th.

The best of the rest have included several reports of sparrowhawk broods at the beginning of August - like this youngster by Cameron Thomson:
Common buzzard - Roy Vincent:
Reports of peregrine, marsh harrier and hobby were topped by a showy osprey around the reserve on Thursday the 13th - shots by Darren Smith:
Warblers emerging from the undergrowth like this common whitethroat:
Otherwise hummingbird hawk moth still on the buddleias - Roy Vincent:
And finally a nice round up of the little ringed plover brood by Alan Marshall: