12 members enjoyed both a discounted rate to enter the reserve and reasonable weather although a tad windy.  All in all, 56 species were seen, 4 down on that clocked the last time we ran a trip here but this time the reserve seemed to have fewer birds which might have been down to the wind causing them to hunker down. Birding began in the car park beginning with a Red Kite (more than ever before, this species seemed to be omnipresent) and a Goldcrest. After signing in, we spent a good half an hour on the the first floor of the visitors’ centre with its splendid view over Lagoon 1, sighting Dunlin, a Stonechat, Great White Egret, huge flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover and lots of elegant Pintails. From there we moved straight to the Dunlin Hide which overlooks Lagoon 4 from where we had good but distant views of 3 drake and 2 female Smew.

Drake Smew and Wigeon (digiscoped at 500m explains the lack of clarity)

(the leaders second favourite bird). Sadly though, there was no sign of any Scaup and although we tried, all female Scaup turned out to be Pochards.

Most of the group outside Dunlin Hide

We then moved to the Shoveller Hide overlooking Lagoon 3 where the effect of the wind was very apparent with what birds there were, clustered to the westerly edge sheltered by the reeds. However, entertainment came in the form of 2 Kingfishers, a posse of 12 Snipe

One of the 4 Great White Egrets

and 4 Great White Egrets which dropped in. After a fruitless walk to the Lapwing hide, we returned to the car park for lunch. After that we tried the North Arm of the reservoir from the Fishermans’ Car Park but with no luck there so finally drove to the dam wall where allegedly there were 2 Great Northern Divers. With free parking for the first 15 minutes, the cheap skates literally got their skates on and rushed to the shore, spotted the Diver and

Great Northern Diver – probably a juvenile. With the bird only surfacing for 5 seconds, the limitations of digiscoping became very apparent)

rushed off again. The rest of us spent £1.70 on a more leisurely approach getting both Divers but little else (value for money?).

Group photo – Bill Padley, all others by M Kaye

At the end of the day, 13 members said that they’d enjoyed the trip which surprised the leader a bit considering how quiet Blacktoft had been. We started at North Cave in glorious sunshine and between us, visited all the hides during the morning. The best viewing however, was from the covered picnic area opposite the butty van. Here, amongst the numerous lapwing we had excellent views of Common Snipe, Ruff, a Black-tailed

Ruff

Godwit and Redshank. Subsequently on our walk round, in addition to more common birds, we got a great view of a female Yellow Hammer. At lunchtime, rather sadly because we probably hadn’t spent enough time at North Cave, we headed off for Blacktoft. The early arrivals there were treated to a close view of a single Fieldfare looking magnificent in the sunshine. However, we were all keen to see the anticipated star of the show, the White-tailed Lapwing so an enquiry to a ‘bazooka’ toting photographer elicited that it was showing from Xerox Hide. Indeed it was and a very elegant bird in its subdued colours

White-tailed Lapwing – very rare migrant – breeds Central Asia as far west as Iraq

(except for the yellow legs). One member remarked that it had a rather kind face. However, that was the only bird on this lagoon, definitely a case of ‘Billy no mates’. And that pretty much summed up Blacktoft – no birds. Slight exaggeration but the Ousefleet Hide was the only one where a substantial number of birds were found and then not much variety. Towards the end of the afternoon, we arrived at the Singleton Hide hoping for a Marsh Harrier bonanza but here, while getting quite close views, there were only three

Marsh Harrier

birds in the air at any one time – a far cry from the eleven seen some years ago.
43 species in total not including a male Brimstone Butterfly at North Cave.

Photos thanks to Joyce Sawford and Martin Kaye