RSPB Blacktoft Sands

A bit further afield today, haven’t been to Blacktoft for a long time, and its started to be that time of year when waders start to return on their return migration, the other option was Frampton, but sadly that’s too far away.

Checked out the bird feeders on my way in, finding lots of Tree Sparrow’s, Blue Tit, Great Tit, and Chaffinch. So on to the reserve and I headed out to the first hide, Marshland, hoping for those waders. I spent a couple of hours in here, finding plenty of Green Sandpipers, young birds making up the numbers, there were also lots of Lapwing, a single Common Snipe, a single Spotted Redshank, which was playing hide and seek, a single Grey Heron and Little Egret, a pair of Juvenile Marsh Harriers, these kept visiting a few times, sometimes landing on the ground, giving good views. Over time I also managed to find Water Rail, Bearded Tit, Sedge Warbler, and Moorhen.

I was hoping for a busy day of waders today, but alas that wasn’t to be the case, it was also very quiet in the other hides, the only other highlights were a group of ten Little Egrets.

Insects of note were a few Red Admiral Butterflies, Common and Ruddy Darters, Blue tailed and Variable Damselflies and a Four banded Longhorn Beetle.

Bird List : Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Coot, Gadwall, Great Tit, Green Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Woodpigeon

Butterflies : Comma, Gatekeeper, Green veined White, Meadow Brown,

Dragonflies : Blue tailed Damselfly, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Variable Damselfly