Sightings on the reserve – August 2025

It was a blustery cloudy morning but quite mild. A family of Blackcap in a shrub on the drive was a lovely start to the day. I knew that Nick needed to leave mid-morning so I wanted to start with the Scrape & Moon Water which are usually the hardest parts to count!

On the way to the Scrape Nick had a fleeting glimpse of a Stoat, and we saw a mixed flock in the woodland which included a Marsh tit and a Treecreeper.  The Scrape was busy with geese & ducks, including a Wigeon, a Pintail and a couple of Teal. But best of all were three Green Sandpiper and a Greenshank.

Moon Water which was also busier than it has been recently. There were a couple of Mandarin duck and a Pochard here. I then headed to the Farmland Hide to continue with the normal route – it was all down to me now. The woodland was very quiet and there was a solitary Jay seen at the Hide.

The Wetland was more productive with a Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron and 5 more Green Sandpiper amongst the ducks & geese. There was no sign of Common Tern at Moon Water, and just 2 juvenile Black-headed gull still lingered. As I came out of Lake Hide I heard a family of Wren in dense scrub.

It was very quiet on the way to the Woodland Hide but the feeders here were very busy with Great & Blue tit, with juveniles of both seen. Also my only chaffinches of the day. I then continued through the woodland & along the boardwalk where I saw a Buzzard being mobbed by Common Tern.

By now I was back where we had started. It had been a good morning and I was pleased with how much I had seen, given the dense foliage and lack of birdsong.

Mandy Etherington & Nick Edwards

Wensum Valley Birdwatching Society

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten