Upcoming events at the Visitor Centre: -
Talk & Dinner - One Good Tern deserves a Shorebird Warden. Friday 17th April 6:30-9pm https://OneGoodTernDeservesaShorebirdWarden.eventbrite.co.uk
Drop-in-event - A Day for the Little Tern, Saturday 18th April, 10am-4pm -
Join us as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our Shorebird Sanctuary and discover how this special place has changed over the decades. - Drop-in activities for all ages.https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/events/2026-04-18-day-little-tern
April 2nd. Another cloudy day throughout, staying cool well into the day in a light northerly wind.
Highlight of the day was the long staying Shorelark which was still on the foreshore saltings. A Raven went inland over Mill Hill at 8.14am, with another 2 circling high over the visitor centre later on in the morning. A Red Kite went south mid morning.
A brief look at the sea revealed a drake Eider (On the sea) and a Common Scoter (North) and 1 Sandwich Tern (South) whilst on the beach were 546 Herring Gulls, 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 8 Great Black-backed Gulls a Peregrine (Greenshank's Creek) and a Merlin.
On Tennyson's Sands were 28 Avocet and 15 Black-tailed Godwits. Also about were 5 Buzzards (High over Croft Marsh), 2 Redwing and 4 Siskin.
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| Merlin on the beach, 2nd April 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Displaying Ringed Plover on the beach, 2nd April 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
Conditions provided excellent visibility over the sea and shore. The morning flight of Common Scoter involved 270 moving into the Wash but otherwise, just 4 Red-throated Divers, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers and 2 Great crested Grebes.
There was virtually no visible migration other than a Sand Martin, a Brambling, 4 Snipe and a Sparrowhawk, so a good opportunity to scan through the large gulls along the beach. 2 Caspian Gulls were identified but only 6 Greater Black-backed Gulls compared to 600 Herring Gulls, also on the beach were 14 Turnstone. A Black Redstart was a new arrival on the East Dunes and may well turn up at the Visitor Centre later. A Spoonbill went south.
On the water bodies were 64 Brent Geese, 54 Shelduck, 67 Shoveler, 11 Gadwall, 5 Wigeon, 12 Mallard, 24 Teal, 34 Tufted Duck, 1 female Scaup (Long staying bird on Tennyson's Sands), 1 Water Rail (Fenella Hope Hide), 14 Little Grebe, 19 Avocet, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Spoonbill and 1 Cetti's Warbler.
Also about today were 2 Buzzard, 8 Chiffchaff, 3 Siskin, a male Blackcap, 2 Redwing (North) and a Peregrine. Of interest, locally the first Swallow of the year was seen today just down the road in Burgh le Marsh.
Over night Moth trapping in Sykes Farm resulted in 210 Moths of 19 Species. The reserves 3rd ever Dotted Chestnut (After 2 in April 2024) and a Lead-coloured Drab (About annual) were both eclipsed by a stunning, fresh Blossom Underwing, a first for the reserve!.
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| Blossom Underwing Moth, 1st April 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Dotted Chestnut Moth, 1st April 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
