Breeding Notes 2026

Skylark – four in song flight Eye Field. Three in song flight Serpentine area.

Marsh Harrier – male taking nesting material in to Main Reedbed about 100 metres north of the bench on the Skirts Path (east of track to Bishops Hide).

Pair of Ringed Plover exploring the shingle just west of the Pillbox east of Beach Carpark.

5 MARCH – 3 single male Lapwings ‘properly’ displaying over E2/Serpentine; activity has been steadily increasing over past week.

From 22 March – four singing Meadow Pipits, Eye Field.

Reed Bunting pair in scrub east of Pillbox

Stonechat pair in scrub east of Pillbox

Kelling Quags – NWT field edge – singing Cetti’s Warbler

LAPWING  5 displaying males across reserve; couldn’t see any females around.

OYSTERCATCHER  2 together on Bu4.

GREYLAG GOOSE  lots of pairs…..!

TAWNY OWL calling from North Foreland.

STOCK DOVE  calling from North Foreland

CETTI’S WARBLER calling from Snipes’ Marsh

LITTLE GREBE  1 calling from Don’s Pool.

CANADA GOOSE  Pair edge of reeds SW corner Don’s.

LAPWING  8 (at least 2 females) across E1-2-3.

OYSTERCATCHER  2 ‘chasing’ on E2 + 2 on Arnolds.

MARSH HARRIER male caught prey near Arnolds and carried it high at least as far as West Bank.

GREAT EGRET 1 east across East Bank towards Babcock; 10min later ?same flying, with full crop, west over East Bank and dropped down at Big Pool (NB: bill colour dull grey).

RINGED PLOVER  2 on Arnolds, one in display flight.

MUTE SWAN  12:25 Salthouse Duckpond

Female on nest and adding to it.Nest is in line with buddleia on north bank.Male by duck feeding area.

13:40 Female off nest – no sign of any eggs.

Meadow Lane walked length of NWT land. Family of 3 (2 adults and one very brown juvenile) just east of rusty iron and galvanised gates.

WADERS

None seen viewing Salthouse marshes from Meadow Lane.

30 March

LITTLE GREBE  1 calling from Snipes; 1 calling from Dons.

MUTE SWAN  2 on South Pool and 1 K3 south;   2 together walking across Po3

EGYPTIAN GOOSE  1 Eye Field

SHOVELER  Pair on Snipes.

MOORHEN  1 in CDrain/Sa1

LAPWING  2 males on Po2 (NW & SE);  1 Watling Water;  only 3 visible across E1-2-3 (one Pope’s Pool, 2 Serp.

OYSTERCATCHER  2 on Cr1

AVOCET  11 on Swan Lake.

BUZZARD  1 up from N.Foreland

SKYLARK  4 by Car Park Pool/Eye Field.

CETTI’S WARLER  1 calling Snipes.

CHIFFCHAFF  1 singing N.Foreland

MUTE SWAN  1 ?s/a (pale bill) CDrain/Beach Rd junction;  pair ads grazing by gate into Cr1 (Beach Rd).

GREYLAG: on nest in reeds Don’s Pool

Ringed Plover – pair displaying on shingle to NW of Iron Road; second pair on saltmarsh directly north of Swan Lake.

Redshank – pair displaying pool west of Gramborough Hill

Moorhen – presumed male displaying to two other Moorhens Catchwater Drain east of Iron Road

Meadow Pipit taking in nesting material south of Gramborough Hill

MUTE SWAN  13:35 from VC

Just south of Teal Hide 3 adults ,between Pats and Simmonds 2 adults and 2 adults on Keepers by the cattle pen.

Non breeders???

Reed Bunting – singing male just NE of VC and a second near Bishops at same time.

Pair of Little Grebes – Snipes.

Single Coot – Snipes.

Pair ? of Canada Geese exploring Dons Pool.

Cetti’s Warbler – 3 singing birds between gate opposite VC and East Bank. Another singing around Snipes Marsh.

LAPWING  Only 3 Lapwing visible across Eye Field-Bull Marsh, Cricket Marsh, Keepers (1 Bu4, 1 Cr1, 1displaying over K3).

OYSTERCATCHER  2 on Eye Field; 2 on Bu4

MUTE SWAN    09.50

Salthouse duckpond  no sign of  the pair and nest empty/or eggs covered.

13.00 Salthouse Dp female on nest and male west end .

4 April:  MUTE SWAN Duckpond pair mating.

OYSTERCATCHER  2 on Bu4;  2 by Car Park Pool Eye Field

LAPWING  1 on Bu4;  1 f  by Car Park Pool Eye Field;  3 Watling Water.  Only these 3 found around West+South+East edges of reserve.

AVOCET  3 Swan Lake Po1a

MUTE SWAN  Salthouse Duck Pond: male on pond, female at nest pulling vegetation towards her (20 mins later pair on pond).

GREYLAG pair on Don’s Pool attacked and chased off by pair of Canada Geese at 8:34.  However, at 9:10 the Greylag was sitting on the nest again!

Cetti’s Warbler – singing around Central Hides

Reed Bunting – singing around Central Hides

Pair of Little Grebes displaying on Snipes Marsh.

Afternoon walk by C Drain – west bank to east bank and part way along east bank.

GREYLAG GOOSE : ON north west side of Dons Pool (pair of Canada Geese feeding nearby on  west side Serpentine)

MUTE SWAN  Pair on Po4/parallel drains – from east bank.

C Drain east of Swan Bridge 2 feeding together.

1 C Drain east of Junction Bridge

Of interest: Andrew Canon reported this pm on Cley Birders – Mallard ducklings at Salthouse,no detailed location given.

GREYLAG  Volunteer Mike reported young brood of 3+ Iron Road.

GADWALL  Watling: 2 prs.   The N-S drain Po1/Po2: pair

SHELDUCK  Watling: 10.

SHOVELER  Watling: 17

MOORHEN  1 HEARD in CatchDrain Po2.

LAPWING  Po1: 2 m&f    Po1a: 1 m    Po2: 2 m&f    Po3: 1 m    Po3a: 2 m&f   Bu1: m&?   Bu2: 2    Eye Field: m&f by car park pool.

AVOCET  Swan Lake 2 feeding;   28 feeding/loafing on Watling Water

REDSHANK  Watling:2

OYSTERCATCHER  Bu1/2:  pair flew up to mob Red Kite.

WREN  1 singing strongly around CatchDrain/bridge to Watling track.

CETTI’S WARBLER  1 singing V.Centre hedge;  1 singing Iron Rd car park.

SKYLARK  1 singing above Po3.

MEADOW PIPIT  4 Eye Field.

• This reply was modified 1 day, 17 hours ago by Kath & Mick Claydon. Reason: Added Moorhen

7/4/26 iron road

1 lapwing NON po1

1 lapwing NON po1a

skylark singing sa1

Redshank displaying po1a

2 oystercatcher NON po1a

Ringed plover NON sa4

3 potential Avocet pairs NON sa3/sa6

MUTE SWAN  1 adult on Skirts Pool.

CANADA GOOSE  pair on Don’s Pool (one deliberately ousted Greylag from nest in reeds (at least 5 eggs visible).  The Greylag flew to East Bank and stayed there.  Canada poked the eggs briefly and stood on nest edge 2 mins then back to partner on pool.  5 mins later, Canada went back to the Greylag nest (greylag still on E.Bank) and stood for 2-3 mins then back into pool.  15 mins later the Greylag was back on nest and the 2 Canadas were on E2.

GREYLAG GOOSE   See Canada Goose entry.

LITTLE GREBE  1 on Snipes.

POCHARD  Male and Female diving and preening on Don’s Pool (c. 10.15 to 11.00).

LITTLE EGRET  8 circling, then all into North Foreland, then all out again and joined 2 more on E2 (Total 10).

BEARDED TIT  1 low down on edge of reeds W side of Don’s Pool – then flew West and lost to sight by Bishop’s Hide.  Few mins later another (??doubt same) on the reeds W side of Don’s Pool.

REED BUNTING  Feeding low down in reeds on W side of Don’s Pool.

REDSHANK  Display and song west side Arnolds.

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER  1 seen, also heard a few times, Serp5/4 area.

STOCK DOVE  1 often calling from North Foreland.

SWALLOW  2 on wires Beach Rd/K1

LAPWINGS   4 nests    c. 12 adults    across E1-2-3.

E.2: pair mating S half E2 then several mins later presume this pair ON, SE of southern-most water, male initially ON then later Female ON.  Another ON East of Serp 2.   Another ON Serp 6.

E3: 2 Lapwings feeding at NW.

E1: Female ON very close to the reeds dividing E3/E1 (running W-E).   2 more feeding further South.