A Late Spring Day at Abberton Reservoir

16th May 2026

I started the day at Island Hide hoping for a few passes by the Barn Owls hunting prey for their chicks, but after a no-show after an hour and a half it looked as though they were hunting elsewhere. However, a cracking male Reed Bunting singing his heart out from the top of a Wild Rose right outside the window, and a Chiffchaff exploring another bush provided some entertainment.

Then as I walked back to the visitor centre I was serenaded by a Sky Lark.

Now on to Layer Breton causeway and it was good to see the Common Terns back and feeding close to the bank. Such graceful birds.

A rather late male Yellow Wagtail was perched on one of the concrete posts that line the road...............

.......................but the biggest surprise today was a superb female Goldeneye sitting on a log in the bay in the North-east corner of the causeway. Surely she should now be on her breeding grounds in the North, unless she is going to over-summer like a couple of birds have in the last couple of years.

In the heronry the Herons are the early breeders and have fully grown young in the nest

This one had already learnt how to sunbathe using its wings as reflectors.

Today I only managed to see one Little Egret in the heronry as I seem to remember they are late breeders.

Also a single Great White Egret sat behind the wall next to the heronry. Although they are common at Abberton throughout the year, they have not yet bred here.

Cattle Egrets have only started their nests in the last couple of weeks and I saw three entering the heronry and there could be more as they tend to nest inside the trees. 

One Cattle Egret left the heronry and flew low out to the middle of the reservoir and lowered its legs as if to try and land. It dipped its feet into the water and then returned to the heronry. At first I thought it was trying to snatch a small fish from the surface of the water, but perhaps just washing its feet. Answers on a post card.

But the stars of the show are always were the Spoonbills which are such elegant birds.

Just look at that throat patch.

They are very elegant on the ground and in flight, but quite ungainly when trying to land in the tops of trees in a high wind.

They have been on their nests for quite a few weeks now, so hopefully we will soon get a few baby spoons.

An American Golden Plover at Old Hall Marshes

12th May 2026

Time for a visit to Old Hall Marshes to see the American Golden Plover which has been present since the 3rd May. The bird alternates between the Bale Field and the breach on the North bank of the Salcott Channel. When I arrived in the car park I was told it had been in the Bale Field, but had just flown back to the breach on the other side of the channel. Unfortunately, this is 200 yards from the South bank, but has the advantage of having the sun behind you so therefore better for photography.

When I arrived on the bank opposite the breach the bird had disappeared from view, but luckily there was a supporting task to keep me entertained. What at first I assumed to be a Curlew appeared from over the bank and it was only when I took a couple of shots I realised it was a Whimbrel. Not really surprising at this time of year.

Along the return path by the Bale Field a male Ruff was just coming into summer plumage with a stunning rusty head and black breast.

It was accompanied by a Reeve.

Then back on the river wall a small wader appeared on the channel that crosses the Bale Field, the Temminck's Stint, but unfortunately 200+ yards away. The bird is still in winter plumage. It too has a pectoral band but is un-streaked and has a short bill,

So what about the American Golden Plover? Well unfortunately, due to the nature of the site, birds at Old Hall Marshes are seldom close and the plover was no exception, It was currently just beyond the breach, sometimes on the green algae beyond the breach and other times on the seaweed-covered rocks that are the remains of the river wall. These are the record shots I managed to get.

Well, what a great day and great to enjoy these birds in such good company.