It was a very hot day for the time of the year so the birds weren't particularly active, and there was a slight haze in the air affecting visibility. The reserve is set in an agricultural landscape, with large open fields and hedgerows. The marshes, if you don't have a bike, are a long hike from the nearest car park, or in my case train station.
There are five hides overlooking four bodies of water with the reservoir being the biggest and deepest. As a result the reservoir attracts the largest number of wildfowl. Today it was choc-a-bloc with birds with several hundred COOT present along with TUFTED DUCK, GADWALL and POCHARD.
view over the reservoir
By the entrance to the reservoir hide a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was present, characteristically jumping off the branches to capture insects in flight.
The three smaller pools are more like scrapes and are shallow with lots of mud. Here TEAL and SHOVELLER hold sway. The ducks look tatty at the moment as they come out of eclipse plumage. The first pool the SHALLOW LAGOON was characteristically empty. The next pool, the SUMMER FLOOD hel two roosting SPOONBILL.
Also present were three RUFF.
The last pool, the WINTER FLOOD, is the best pool for waders. The pool dries out over the summer leaving lots of mud for the birds to feed on. Today there was a good slection, with 1 CURLEW SAND, 1 GREEN SAND, 7 RINGED PLOVERS, 7 SNIPE, 2 DUNLIN and 3 RUFF. There was also a mixed flock of 30 LINNETS and GOLDDFINCHES.
The marshes border the Orwell estuary providing even more mud for the birds to feed on. The tide was low and there was a good mix of waders present. They were mainly GODWIT and REDSHANK, but also present were AVOCETS and OYSTERCATCHERS.
So, not a bad day really, but I'm still finding a big bird sighting elusive.
This will be my last posting for a couple of weeks as I go on (non-birdwatching) holiday to Malta next week.
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