The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Highlights today:-

Barn Owl x 1
Merlin x 1
Marsh Harrier x 1
Water Rail x 1
Whooper Swan x 42
Bewick's Swan x 2
White-fronted Goose x 4
Scaup x 2
Dunlin x c800
Knot x c30
Redshank x c25
Black-tailed Godwit x 13
Ruff x 7
Grey Plover x 1
Oystercatcher x 1

Spring very much in the air. Walking from Wyberton to the reserve today, I saw my first bumblebee of 2014, whilst the air was filled with Skylarks singing from the fields on both sides of the road and I could also hear Woodpecker drumming. Also had 1 Buzzard, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Redwing and 2 Mistle Thrush along Streetway/ Wyberton Roads.

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"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue."

Patch YTD: 155

When these are on the reserve, do they favour a particular spot?

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Katherine,

They roost on the reedbed, but are usually gone at the crack of dawn and don't return until dusk. We've been stood in near darkness waiting for them to come back in - as much of an aural spectacle as a visual one.

During the day they are best viewed from the Cross Bank looking onto the fields south of the reserve. They are usually a couple of fields over, but are usually within a fairly decent scopable distance. If you wanted better views, you could follow the public footpath on the top of the sea bank that heads towards Kirton Marsh.

On the swans, the numbers seemed to have doubled today. Two separate reports of 98 and 90+ into the VC today ("mostly Whoopers but some Bewick's mixed in"), so it might be worth having a wee trek out there tomorrow, if you can.

In other news, our first Great Crested Grebes (x 3) of the Spring also arrived on the reedbed overnight. They seemed pretty windswept today, but it shouldn't be long until they start displaying, which is always one of the highlights of Spring. Apparently the reserves Hares have been observed boxing already!

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"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue."

Patch YTD: 155