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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...

This weekend has seen amazing close views of waders in front of our new marshland hide. Redshank, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, ruff, snipe and even the curlew sandpiper made an appearance at the waters edge just in front of the hide. Just have a look at the ruff and redshank that I managed to take a...

Can someone ID it for me please I think its a Greenshank

6 August 2011: Singleton lagoon, Blacktoft Sands. For many visitors, Ruff can be the trickiest wader to identify, because their plumage and leg colour can vary greatly.

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...

Taken from Marshland hide 04/07/2011. This was one of 3 male Ruff each moulting out of a different summer plumage.

A quick update on the action at Blacktoft today (Saturday 16th July). Marsh harriers - those young marsh harriers were fooling around all day down at Singleton. Also first chick spotted in bush at the back of First (hopefully see more of these tomorrow!). Sandpipers - Marsh sandpiper present for...

During the course of the last week or so we have started seeing the arrival of some of birds that will be spending the spring / summer with us. This all started around the 10th March with the arrival back of the avocets . These come and go a bit at the moment settling down during the early part of...

This morning we had a pleasant surpise when we discovered that the long-eared owls were back on those willows by xerox. Xerox is where much of todays activity has been happening with the red-breasted merganser staying for a second day and black-tailed godwits (some of these beginning to show some colour...

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...

Taken on Sunday 10th October. This peregrine went in for the kill at Ousefleet and emerged with what was idenfied by this shot a ruff in its talons.

There are now over 100 snipe on the reserve at the moment - favouring marshland / xerox. High tide this weekend has brought a lot of water onto the reserve so many of the waders have moved up to ousefleet to make use of the new shallow wet edges. This morning there were lots of lapwing, black-tailed...

Wader update Monday 23rd August What a RUFF weekend we have just had a blacktoft sands. Yes there were a lot of RUFF around on our lagoons. Around 55 were present throughout the reserve. This is a very peculiar looking wader. In the breeding season the males have the ruff feathers - appearing in...

It was almost "standing room only" for waders on Singleton lagoon on 11th August 2010. Here's one of the 14 Little Egrets present that day, along with: * Ruff * Greenshank * Common Redshank * Snipe * Black-tailed Godwit Outside this photo, but close by, were Spotted Redshank, Green...

Snipe were actively feeding out in the open on Singleton lagoon on 11th August 2010. Here are three Snipe along with three Ruff (aduly males), giving a good size comparison.

Snipe were actively feeding out in the open on Singleton lagoon on 11th August 2010. Here are three Snipe along with three Ruff (aduly males), giving a good size comparison.

This young Ruff was having a bit of a splash-around on Singleton lagoon. Taken on 11th August 2010

Plenty of Ruff amongst the waders at Blacktoft on 11th August 2010. There was a great variation of plumage, causing confusion for some visitors. Here is an adult male in non-breeding plumage and a juvenile (male, I think - correct me if I'm wrong!).