Spoonbills, Spotted Crake and Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands : 28th July 2016
Spoonbills, Spotted Crake and Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands : 28th July 2016
Having just got back from our three-week holiday in Canada, July was virtually over but with good reports from Burton Mere Wetlands suggesting the possible presence of Spoonbills and also Spotted Crake, we could not resist a quick drive up there. We were not disappointed !
We started off in the reception hide and then walked to the open hide by the Sand Martin Bank. The usual birds were there but a single Ruff was on one of the small islands and a Marsh Harrier flew over the reed bed and I saw a small number od Snipe in flight. We returned to the reception hide in time for someone to find the Spotted Crake chick all the way to the back of the scrape dashing in and out of the reedbed. We also overheard a chap saying that he had just come by “number one bed” (which is where the boardwalk starts turning to the right on its way to Inner Marsh Farm, after the marsh covert hide. He actually said that he had just seen NINE Spoobills there ten minutes before.
We rushed off and it turned out to be absolutely true. This is more Spoonbills than I have ever seen in one place and it made for a wonderful sight. There were also large numbers of Little Egrets which looked very little indeed by comparison. We stayed there a long time and others joined us finding it hard to believe that such a large number were there. I think that this must be a record for Burton Mere Wetlands. A Spotted Redshank was in the same area, mixed up with a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits, making this three “year ticks” in one day ! Eventually the Spoonbills rose in a group and flew, too and fro, above the reserve giving us lovely views of their coordinated flying !
We moved on to Burton Point and en route we saw large numbers of Swifts and House MArtins swooshing around above us. At the Point the weather took a bit of a turn and we decided that it wasn’t really the weather to see Short-eared Owls, so we left for the Inner Marsh Farm hide. Here we encountered another (or the same) Spotted Redshank. Also of interest were a few Ruff and a small group of Dunlin. There was an even bigger flock of Black-tailed Godwits making quite a splendid sight.
We returned as the waether took a bit of a turn for the worse. We managed to log a Buzzard on the way back but soon the rain was very heavy and we headed back, heads down and walking fast, to the dryness of the reception hide. With the rain still heavy, we decided to call it a day – but what a day !
Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands : Reception Hide
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Greylag Goose | 30 |
| Canada Goose | 20 |
| Mallard | 4 |
| Common Teal | 20 |
| Tufted Duck | 20 |
| Grey Heron | 3 |
| Eurasian Marsh Harrier | 1 |
| Spotted Crake | 1 |
| Common Moorhen | 6 |
| Common Coot | 4 |
| Pied Avocet | 1 |
| Northern Lapwing | 20 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 40 |
| Ruff | 1 |
| Common Snipe | 2 |
| Black-headed Gull | 40 |
| Reed Warbler | 2 |
Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands : Environs
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Little Egret | 12 |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | 9 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Spotted Redshank | 1 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 60 |
| Common Snipe | 2 |
| Common Wood Pigeon | 6 |
| Common Swift | 8 |
| Carrion Crow | 4 |
| Common House Martin | 10 |
| Coal Tit | 1 |
| Great Tit | 4 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 2 |
| Eurasian Nuthatch | 1 |
| Eurasian Wren | 1 |
| European Robin | 1 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 1 |
| Reed Bunting | 1 |
| European Greenfinch | 1 |
| European Goldfinch | 6 |
Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands : Inner Marsh Farm
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Little Egret | 12 |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | 9 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Spotted Redshank | 1 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 60 |
| Common Snipe | 2 |
| Common Wood Pigeon | 6 |
| Common Swift | 8 |
| Carrion Crow | 4 |
| Common House Martin | 10 |
| Coal Tit | 1 |
| Great Tit | 4 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 2 |
| Eurasian Nuthatch | 1 |
| Eurasian Wren | 1 |
| European Robin | 1 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 1 |
| Reed Bunting | 1 |
| European Greenfinch | 1 |
| European Goldfinch | 6 |