Friday 5 November 2010

Roughing it

The week started well with Martin finding the rough legged buzzard just outside the reserve - have a look on his blog for the write-up (there is no question on his familiarity with raptors when you see what he's been getting in Portugal!) The bird had been seen several times the previous week on Leven Carrs, but seems to have moved over to Watton Carrs now:

A bird strongly resembling it was briefly seen on Sunday too - but beware the 'white buzzard o' Watton' - an extremely pale common buzzard that has thrown many an observer over the last 2+ years...

The same night Martin found two Mediterranean Gulls on the D res roost, one of which we managed to re-find on the Sunday night for the successful 'roost walk'.

I'll spare you a grainy pic from 1000m and put a library pic on (the familiar Holbeck Car park bird from several years back):

No more woodcock reports yet - but a female brambling has been seen the last two days - narrowly escaping the sparrowhawk!. Yesterday 4 whooper swans were seen leaving Watton NR but could not be re-located today - only a confiding wren!

And also this kestrel - present all winter last year around East Pond - there is a new nest box to go up this winter to encourage it to stay:

On South Marsh East a water rail briefly showed earlier, but the squealing South Marsh West birds are most often 'encountered.' They were heard when we were burning the willow brash on the island - hopefully getting it sorted for bitterns. We now have a regular Thursday work gang starting out at 10am if you are interested in cuttin' and burnin':


The lone black tailed godwit has been present all week and was still there this morning, along with 11 redshank and a single greensandpiper - seen on North Lagoon for a change.

A few migrant hawkers are still limping on with the lack of frosts, and the kingfishers are still present on North Marsh - but more fleeting now. They are seen most days - but we get regular reports of failed sightings after a two hour wait now...presumably they have booted the young out now so there are not as many to see:

Finally it always pays to be alert - the great spotted woodpecker is often to be found on the antennae / conductor on top of the Treatment Works!: