Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory Blog

March 22nd. Damp start, then mostly cloudy, with light easterly wind.

On Tennyson's Sands was a Water Rail.

March 21st. Broken cloud, with a light south-easterly wind.

In Measures West were 2 Woodcock and another was by North Hide. A Great Spotted Woodpecker and 4 Redwings were in the Plantation, and 3 Chiffchaff were again singing. On Jackson's Marsh were a Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Avocets whilst on Tennyson's Sands there were 17 Avocets, 28 Brent Geese, 3 Pintail and an Oystercatcher.

A morning ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by Jenni Godber produced 10 new birds: 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Great Tit, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Blue Tit and a Greenfinch; and 4 retraps: a Long-tailed Tit, 2 Great Tit and a Blue Tit.

Reed Bunting, 21st March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Brent Geese with Shelduck in flight, 21st March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Shelducks, 21st March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Mute Swans, 21st March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 20th. Clear, with light south-easterly wind.

At least 3 Chiffchaffs were singing. A Little Ringed Plover was heard calling around Old Saltmarsh. On Tennyson's Sands were 23 Avocet, 3 Redshank, 3 Pintail and a Water Rail. On Jackson's Marsh were 4 Avocet and 2 Oystercatcher along with A Grey Heron on Croft Marsh. A Barn Owl was hunting around the reserve throughout the day.

Lapwing, 20th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Shelducks, 20th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Teal, 20th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Avocets, 20th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Chiffchaff, 20th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Primroses, 20 March 2024.
Photo - George Gregory

March 19th. Clear, with light south-easterly wind.

On Tennyson's Sands were 13 Avocet, a Pintail, a Water Rail and 3 Bearded Tits, and a Snipe flew over. On Jackson's Marsh were a Snipe, 4 Avocet and a Black-tailed Godwit. In the Plantation were a single Siskin and 4 Redwings. North Carpark held 3 Goldcrests, and 17 Corn Buntings were in their usual tree near the Hump. A ringtail Hen Harrier was off the Wash View Point, and a Brambling passed south with a small group of finches in West Dunes.

Goldcrest, 19th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Wren, 19th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Siskin, 19th March 0225
Photo - Tom Baker

Linnet, 19th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Starlings, 19tyh March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 18th. Clear, with fresh easterly wind.

On the Mere were 11 Tufted Duck. Jackson's Marsh held 20 Mallard, 17 Tufted Duck, 14 Teal, 11 Gadwall, 9 Shoveler, 7 Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, 4 Little Grebe and a female Pintail along with 4 Oystercatcher and a single Snipe. On Tennyson Sands during the morning there were 2 Bearded Tits calling and occasionally showing in front of Harvey's Hide. Later in the day there were 52 Tufted Duck, 38 Wigeon, 37 Shoveler, 35 Mallard, 22 Little Grebe, 20 Teal, 28 Shelduck, 4 Pintail (two pairs), 2 Gadwall and 10 Avocet. On Croftmarsh there were 6 Curlew and 6 Lapwing, while a Buzzard circled over.

Finally some signs of Spring with Blossom appearing, 18th March 2025
Photo - Michael Briggs

Wigeon, 18th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Shelduck, 18th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Shoveler, 18th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Brent Geese, 18th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Shelducks, 18th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Avocet, 18th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 17th. Broken cloud, with increasing easterly wind.

Around North Carpark was a singing Chiffchaff, whilst on Tennyson's Sands there were 13 Avocet and 2 Pintail. The whole reserve seems very quiet, and this was remarked upon by several visitors today. Even the water bodies were practically deserted!

Song Thrush, 17th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Male Shoveler, 17th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Male Gadwall, 17th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Lapwings, 17th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Tufted Ducks with Avocets, 17th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 16th. Generally cloudy, with some early morning rain and moderate north-easterly wind.

Over Croftmarsh was a Marsh Harrier, in the Plantation were a Woodcock, 14 Redwing and a Green Woodpecker, and at the Visitor Centre 2 Stonechats. On Tennyson's Sands were 17 Avocet, 2 Pintail and 35 Shelduck. Two Barn Owls were hunting over East and West Dunes late afternoon.

At the high tide evening roost there were 34,000 waders including 25000 Knot, 6000 Oystercatcher, 2000 Dunlin and 800 Grey Plover. There were also 900 Wigeon and 200 Brent Geese on the marshes. Four Snipe flew south and 2 Hen Harriers were seen briefly flying into roost. A Seal was up the river on the high tide giving great views, confiding very closely up level with the Visitor Centre.

Redwing, 16th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Sparrowhawk with a gap in the wing, 16th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Sparrowhawk clearly showing wing damage (This bird was first noted and photographed on the 7th March), 17th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Seals, 16th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 15th. Broken cloud, with a brief wintery shower in the morning and moderate north-easterly wind.

Around the visitor Centre was a Short-eared Owl, whilst a Woodcock was flushed in the Plantation, and a Great White Egret was out from Wash Viewpoint. On Tennyson's Sands were 15 Avocets and 1+ Bearded Tits. A Ringed Plover was displaying. A Red Kite circled south, and a Peregrine flew north over Seacroft Field 10. A Barn Owl and a Hen Harrier hunted over Old Saltmarsh. Around were 3 Woodcock and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Long-tailed Tit, 15th March 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Avocets, 15th March 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Dunnock, 15th March 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

Short-eared Owl, 15th March 2025
Photo - Paul Neale

March 14th. Partially cloudy, with fresh north-easterly wind.

There were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the Plantation along with 2 Chiffchaffs. Jackson's Marsh held 2 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst Tennyson's Sands was occupied by an increasing number of very noisy Black-headed Gulls accompanied by 16 Brent Geese and 22 Avocets.

Around the Hump into the Visitor Centre Carpark were 19 Corn Buntings, whilst just north of the Reserve on the Golf Course near dusk a Short-eared Owl was hunting.

Chiffchaff, 14th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Great Tit, 14th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Blue Tit, 14th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Long-tailed Tit, 14th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Great Tit, 14th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 13th. Occasional rain and wintery spells until early afternoon, with fresh northerly wind.

Over the Plantation was a Peregrine. On Tennyson's Sands were 58 Brent Geese, 28 Avocets and a single Pintail, whilst a Great White Egret flew over.

Peregrine, 13th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Great White Egret, 13th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Shelducks, 13th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Wigeon, 13th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 12th. Mostly cloudy, with fresh north-westerly to north-easterly wind. During the afternoon some fierce wintery showers moved through.

In the Plantation were 6 Redwings, whilst Jackson's Marsh held 2 Gadwall and a single Black-tailed Godwit in near full summer dress. On Tennyson's Sands there were 160 Brent Geese, 150 Wigeon, 20 Tufted Duck, 20 Mallard, 20 Teal, 12 Shelduck, 8 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall and 21 Avocets.

Brent Geese, 12th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Avocets, 12th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Wigeon, 12th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Gadwall pair, 12th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Black-tailed Godwit, 12th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Redwings, 12th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

March 11th. Mostly cloudy, with an increasingly cold northerly wind.

On Tennyson's Sands there were 20 Avocets, 5 Brent Geese and 4 Pintail. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the Plantation along with 2 Chiffchaffs singing.

Brent Geese, 11th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Pintail with Mallard in flight, 11th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Goldfinch on fresh blossom, 11th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 11th March 2025
Photo - Tom Baker

Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory Blog

Late March 2024

Mid March 2024