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!