A scot'ish theme

As with the last post one never knows what passes through the reserve unseen.  Trail cameras are handy for keeping tabs on unseen visitors like the jack snipe which were certainly still present to Thursday - thanks to Roy Vincent for these great shots of one in the South Marsh East channel:

And Roy Lyon:

However advances in technology now show us visiting birds that we never saw or photographed.  A project led by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage has been underway to track Scotland's small population of taiga bean geese which overwinter on the Slamannan Plateau - details here - using GPS transmitters.  Bird no07 was tagged in October last year and has been monitored on its breeding grounds in Sweden over Summer.  The Angus' Bean goose blog (not be confused with Tophill Low's Angus McBean!) is a great site that shows Tag07's return across the North Sea on last weeks strong north easterly winds (maps credited to the Angus Bean goose blog):

Most interesting though is that the bird put down on what appears to be Watton Nature Reserve, before moving west across York:

Read on the blog and you'll now see tag07 has made it back up to the Slamannan Plateau safe and sound.  All interesting stuff; much has been made in the press recently about getting kids outdoors and enjoying nature - perhaps this is the way we're going - we'll just be birding via the internet and computer screen in future!  Hopefully reversing this were our efforts with the RSPB Wildlife explorers building habitat piles last week (Margaret Boyd):

Keep checking out the feral greylag flock for more tasty nuggets (Roy Vincent)

Up to 21 pink feet amongst them so far on Watton (Roy Lyon):

The easterly winds also blew in two common scoters - a female last weekend on D and a drake on O on Tuesday and Wednesday as photographed by Tony Robinson on Michael Flowers's birdwatching course:

We now have Michael's 2014 wildlife calendars in stock priced at £8 - see a Warden to purchase.  Up to 11 whoopers have been present on and off; with a single bird present daily on D res or Decoy Fields (Roy V):

The gull roost is building in numbers now - impressive sights nightly on D res - Roy V:

And Roy L:

John Coish:

Just beware of jokers in the pack like this leucistic common gull (RL):

Also on the res last weekend was the female scaup (Roy L):

With gathering goldeneye RL:

And great crested grebes finding a few tasty morsels (RV):

Brambling in D woods RL:

Seeing off the last few summer migrants like this blackcap RL:

As no doubt was this sparrowhawk in the gardens by Michelle, Paul and Oscar:

Couple of grey wagtails on the wall by John Coish:

The best of the weeks rest included a couple of green sandpipers on South Marsh East on Tuesday
Great white egret on Hempholme Meadow on Thursday lunchtime
Cetti's warbler calling at South Lagoon and South Marsh West
Black-tailed godwit on Watton NR Thursday
Water Rail; two on South Marsh West and also North Marsh like this one by Bruce Pillinger:

Also on North Marsh a stoat by Brian Colley:

And if you look closely the weird and wonderful; lacewing larvae by Doug Fairweather.  Heavily camouflaged in a collection of prey remains and detritus they obscure its impressive jaws from prey:

Different indeed from the majestic adult!  Also impressive predators seeing their days out in the sun - migrant hawker and common darter (JC):

And the last few butterflies - red admiral (JC):

Next week we have the reserve open meeting at 2:30pm on Sunday - a recap of a successful summer of marsh harriers, cetti's warblers and little ringed plovers, with news on new otter holts and cattle grazing this winter - all welcome.

Whoopee - we've arrived!

Northerly winds have indeed brought in the wildfowl - 5 whooper swans yesterday and 11 today on D reservoir - thanks to John Coish for the pics:

Other highlights have been pink footed geese on Watton, little egret on North Marsh with otter today, and jack snipe showing well from the back to back hides yesterday.  We've been running the trail camera to see through the dense vegetation and interesting to pick up jack and common snipe on the camera:

Jack (at an unearthly hour):

And common:

Along with a grey wagtail:

Interestingly when the guys went to pick the camera up today they flushed 5 snipe - each of them nearly stood on - which sounds very jack snipesque behaviour; so how many are in there?

We're going back to otters for the next camera outing - an interesting pile of spraints to focus on!

The belted galloways would look nice with a glossy ibis in their paddock? The bird seen recently at Hornsea Mere would be a nice 270th species for site...

Changing winds

The season's a turning - very much a cross roads at the moment.  Since the last blogging Richard Sears who lives on site managed a yellow browed warbler bathing in the garden pond on Tuesday the 1st - there had to be one somewhere on site!  Unfortunately it didn't linger long enough for a photo; but thanks to Erich Hediger for this shot of the previous weeks little stint:

A couple of dunlin passing through:

The wader passage is slowing now but still worth looking - thanks to Roy L for this of a jack snipe on Watton NR on Sunday:

Which by yesterday had reached South Marsh East with a common snipe - thanks to Erich:

And John Coish:

Hundreds of golden plover over:

Along with lapwings (Brian Colley):

There's plenty of birds disappearing - like blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs:

Its always worth checking the mixed tit flocks at this time - birds like this juv bullfinch:

Treecreeper:

And then some cooler birds - bramblings which first arrived on the 1st of October:

Lots of migratory continental blackbirds with the their darker bills:

The first fieldfares have been through in small numbers, along with many elusive redwings:

The first whooper swans dropped in - 3 on Saturday morning on D res; and these 12 pink footed geese have been around Watton NR since Sunday:

Lots of cormorants arriving for winter - some roosting on Watton NR:

Where do these go in winter? still a mystery - the rare nathusius's pipistrelle courtesy of East Yorkshire Bat Group:

And a soprano pipistrelle:

Autumnal shaggy inkcaps:

A bit of bug life - tree damselbug:

And courtesy of Doug Fairweather - Deraeocoris lutescens - a new species for site

Hawthorn shieldbug is already on this list - although not often in as rosey a hue as this individual:

Likewise Pantilius tunicatus:

Another new one Neolygus viridis:

And the last bit of nectar for the nettle tap moths:

As a round up of the rest:
Little egrets regularly on Hempholme
Willow tits in D woods
Kingfisher on North Marsh near daily
Hobby (probably the last of the year on the 4th)
Scaup on D res on Sunday
Ruff in decoy fields on Sunday
Great white egret on the river Hull on Sunday
A few swallows through
A lone wheatear on the access road yesterday morning
And a nice reprise - lots of marsh harrier hunting activity from two birds on South Marsh East:

They're clearly finding lots to eat - will it be a short eared owl year?
Otter showed 4 times in 5 hours on Sunday - and again yesterday afternoon - so not bad for something 'elusive'

Tomorrow looks good for an influx of geese, swans and wildfowl; Whereas Friday and the weekend look promising for more eastern migrants.

This Saturday sees the RSPB Wildlife Explorers visiting for some graft tree pruning - Margaret and the team always have room for more so if you're aged between 8 and 12 and preferably have an adult to supervise pop down on Saturday at 9am to see what its all about: