Yesterday morning felt bitterly cold, with sub-zero overnight temperatures and a keen north-easterly breeze tempering any warmth from the sun. Nevertheless, reduced totals of many species on the estuary reflected the advancing spring, and included 128 Oystercatchers, 36 Turnstones, 25 Curlew, 25 Redshanks, five Greenshanks, 28 Shelducks, 20 Mallards, 14 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Canada Geese, eight Mute Swans, three Little Grebes, 26 Little Egrets, three Grey Herons, five Cormorants, two Shags and a Mediterranean Gull.
In somewhat milder conditions there was lots of activity at Rackerhayes last Thursday, with three singing Chiffchaffs, one singing Blackcap, a Mute Swan on eggs, six Great Crested Grebes (with at least two paired up), two Green Woodpeckers, two Firecrests and the Bar-headed Goose. Lingering winter visitors included six Tufted Ducks, two Teal and a Redwing. Six Tufted Ducks were also on Decoy Lake, although there was no sign of the pair of Mandarins Alan had there on Monday.
The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation have confirmed that the White-tailed Eagle on 1st March was a male with the leg ring code G603, released as a juvenile on the Isle of Wight in 2024.
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| Mandarins (Alan Ford) |
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