25th February
Water pipit from the riverbank was new for the year, Merlin on the Saltmarsh and a firecrest from Warren Hill, 14 Tufted ducks and 3 Pochard on scrape being the highlights.
4th March
Black Redstart at East lane.
March 10th
Hollelsley 6 Ruff are new in, 6 Whitefronts still.
12th March
Now 7 Ruff, 3 Med Gulls, 2 Spoonbill dropped in one color ringed from the Netherlands in 2014 and seen loads since, mostly u the Norfolk and Suffolk coast with some time spent in Dorset.
Great White Egret still, a Woodcock flew down the river, 1 Green Sandpiper, 130 Whitefronts on the fields still and a few other bits n bobs.
March 18th
The Chiffchaffs are slowly coming in with 3 singing around the reserve, Adult Caspian Gull on scrape and the great white egret again.
19th March
Started by finding a nice Black Redstart by Warren Hill Prison, it was very shy of the camera to start with, but eventually gave itself up.
I scanned the reserve from warren hill as its a good vis mig area, lots of Siskin over, a couple of Brambling, and a few Redpoll, Redwing in small groups and many groups of 50+ Starlings moving. The height here makes viewing the sea pretty good but its a long way off, so identification of stuff is a challenge, and usually not worth the effort, today though i could pick out plenty of Red-Throated divers and cormorants. 7 Grey plover flew in off but the 1 smaller wader with them i couldn't id.
I continued round to the river bank when 185 Whitefronts flew in with the 1st winter Tundra Bean goose and 25 Barnacles. Avocet was fresh in. A load of Fallow Deer when charging through the reserve. Wheatear on the riverbank. Chiffchaffs singing all over the reserve.
Highlight and find of the year however was this 1st winter/female Ferruginous duck orrrr possibly a hybrid, im hoping for a real one but the head and bill looks Pochardish. Ill update this if it turns into a hybrid. (Edit its a Hybrid on reflection)
Possibly get out again later.
Update, after some reflection the duck is most likely a Fudge x Pochard hybrid.
Back on patch tonight with 2 unringed Spoonbill, Goosander and my first Sand Martin of the year.
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