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This title just sums up Blacktoft at the moment. One half of the reserve is where you see the marsh harriers and the other half you get the waders. Starting back to front with the marsh harriers. Our 14 young marsh harriers are getting more confident by the day with much flapping around in the wind...

Hi, Here is an early update this weekend of the action at Blacktoft. Today there were at least 5 spotted reshank , 3 ruff , redshank , lapwing and avocets present up at Ousefleet. Many of our warblers were quite vocal this morning including a reed warbler that can be singing a lot at the moment near...

15 marsh harriers came into roost this evening with 7000 golden plover behind them. The hen harrier was once again present at roost time along with a merlin. Also today there were 3 spotted redshank up at Ousefleet, a chiffchaff by the feeders and a cettis warbler around singleton. We have now managed...

Our fantastic week for seeing waders on the reserve continues today with common sandpiper being added to the list, meaning we have now seen 22 different types of wader this week! Todays highlights include 9 curlew sandpiper , 2 little stint , wood sandpiper and those amazing spotted redshank . ...

Phew! The birding just seems to coming thick and fast at the moment confirming that the combination of high tides and an easterly influence in the weather often makes for some excellent birding. A good old fashioned bird list should be the best way to tell you what you are missing! - Peaks as follows...

15 wader species recorded around Blacktoft Sands today including the Wood sandpiper and the young spotted redshank that are looking very smart. Also spent a lot of time looking at hoverflies around the front of reception. I think there was at least 5 different types present but finding identification...

This is a common sight on our lagoons at this time of year. Often spotted redshank will wade into the water and start hunting for food in packs. Around 20 spotted redshank are currently using the reserve. Many of these are in different stages of plumages - some are even still in almost full summer plumage...

A wide variation of birds to see at Blacktoft right now. From our spoonbills to some young avocets to those spotted redshanks. Lets start with those spoonbills . They are sleeping a lot this week - often at the back of townend. These two have been here for three weeks now. Today they left their sleeping...

Now is the time to see those spotted redshank in stunning breeding plumage - we had 10 today!! Also check out those green sandpipers when you go looking for the spotted redshank at the screen at ousefleet. Marsh harriers are now spending quite a bit of time gliding over the tops of the reeds trying...

What a wonderful Saturday on the reserve. We arrived to find we now have 3 spoonbills feeding on first. They quickly decided it was time for a rest so off they went to their normal sleeping spot on singleton - by that island! They then slept until around 3pm before having a short flight to townend to...

Our two spoonbills are still here and are often seen preening and sleeping on singleton lagoon. Then visiting townend lagoon to feed offering excellent views of them sweeping those bills through the water - often they go round in circles after what they are after. Waders continue to favour marshland...

Today we arrived on site to find 2 spotted redshank in summer plumage on marshland. This starts us seeing the build up of waders as they return to Blacktoft over the coming weeks and months to take a break before heading on south. Other waders around include greenshank, snipe, avocet, black-tailed...

So what would you like? Garganey, bittern, black-tailed godwit, barn owl, spotted redshank, water rail, avocet or just a yellow wagtail? Well we have them all and even more! The pair of Garganey that turned up in the storms on Monday were still here today enjoying their time of first lagoon along...

Well Monday was windy at Blacktoft but that didn't stop our wonderful wildlife. A pair of garganey decided to join us on first lagoon offering excellent views from reception and first hides. Then down on marshland there were black-tailed godwits, avocets chicks, snipe, water rail and a different...

Well today started with another sighting of our friendly hare running along the path in front of reception. Then down on marshland, we had a spotted redshank (in full summer plumage), those black-tailed godwits , the noisy avocets (and chicks), sedge and reed warblers along those reeds. This afternoon...

Well the slavonian grebe is still on singleton. It seems to be finding a plentiful supply of food to keep it going. We also had a little gull on townend this afternoon. Spotted redshank up at Ousefleet. Plenty of sand martins again and also more swallows now. There seems to be a lot of different...

Today we had a visit from a slavonian grebe . Just have a look at this photo: We discovered this amazing little grebe out the front of our singleton hide. Also down at singleton our bittern has been booming away off and on throughout much of the today and we also had a few sightings of a bittern...

Our marsh harriers continue to offer an amazing display with over 10 birds often in the air at once! Look anywhere from reception down to singleton lagoon and I am sure you will see at least a few marsh harriers. It is also worth looking high into the air and you might see some of them doing somersaults...

It felt very much like spring today at Blacktoft. Many of our birds were singing, the first avocets landed on marshland, great crested grebes and little grebes were displaying and also some of our marsh harriers . Our stars - the long-eared owls were back at their normal spots today offering great...

The long-eared owls that we found on Sunday are still here and offering excellent views for our many visitors this week. This week has also seen a little bit of change with many birds returning to Blacktoft. Most noticeable is the black-headed gulls . Also skylarks have been singing up at Ousefleet...

Well what a day for birds of prey at Blacktoft Sands with 2 Hen Harrier, 4 Marsh harrier, 2 merlin, sparrowhawk and kestrel. Lets start with the hen harriers - around 14:30 our smart male that has been around for at least the last ten days turned up at Ousefleet and did a complete circuit ending up...

Even though we still have waders (spotted redshank, black-tailed godwits and some ruff), the main time for waders at Blacktoft Sands has now come to an end. So how was 2010 for waders at Blacktoft? The big one this year was semipalmated sandpiper. A total of 27 species of wader visited the reserve...

Wader update Monday 16th Aug The mystery wader present at Blacktoft on Sunday 8th and Monday 9th August has now been confirmed as being a semipalmated sandpiper. Initially this was thought to be a little stint but has now been confirmed as being the semipalmated sandpiper. This is a new wader for...

Top watching spot this week is no longer marshland. The lagoon that in my opinion is the best location for watching the birds at the moment looks a bit like this picture. Today the bulk of the 80 or so black-tailed godwits were present there along with up to 14 greenshank . It is also a great place...

This afternoon a spoonbill flew into our singleton lagoon where currently a siege of little egrets have taken residence during the last few weeks. The spoonbill arrived had a little feed and then went to sleep (what they like doing!) and that is the way I left it at half five this evening. The peak count...