RXwildlife Sightings

A busy day on the reserve with plenty of highlights. A party of six whooper swans flew along the back of Burrowes pit late afternoon with yesterdays redhead goosander (an immature male) present in front of Firth hide. A drake mandarin was a surprise new arrival to Denge Marsh, showing in the far right hand corner of the lake, though there was no sign of yesterdays reported smew. A ringtail hen harrier flew behind Burrowes pit early morning, heading towards Denge Marsh, and a female merlin showed from Hide 1. Caspian gulls were again present on ARC, along with single goldeneye and knot and a minimum of 33 common snipe. A jack snipe was flushed from one of the ditches behind Hookers pits. Both common buzzard and short eared owl flew over ARC and a group of at least eight redpolls were showing well early morning feeding on the dead willowherb in front of the bench just past denge Marsh hide.        

No, not a new species, but a hybrid between Pochard and Ferruginous Ducks. This individual has been on the Long Pit for a few days (and was probably present last winter). It resembles a male Ferruginous Duck, but has pale flanks and a yellowish eye.