Just time for a quick update today, based on recent sightings by colleagues and visitors, as I've not been on the reserve for a few days.
Certainly some clear evidence that winter is on it's way, with up to ten Bewick's swans using the reserve for the last few days. They seem to be mobile between Island Mere and the Scrape, but hopefully we'll have birds around for several weeks now. I always feel winter ahs arrived when I see my first Bewick's or whooper swans, fresh in from Siberia and Iceland respectively.
There was a brief waxwing by the picnic area today, while the ringtail hen harrier is roosting in the reedbed most evenings. No starling roost yet though - try RSPB Snape where there is a small but growing roost.
Despite the wintry feel to birding today, there was a late whincaht on Monday, when 14 swallows flew south.
The king eider remains offshore, and was joined briefly this week by a drake eider, while a little auk flew past today. On Island Mere, the great white egret remains (moving to the pool behind West hide for a while today), and the first scaup of the year - a female - paid a visit yesterday.
Otherwise, look out for water pipits on the Scrape or in the reedbed, listen out for Cetti's warblers or water rails in the reedbed, and check the ducks on the Scrape for the odd pintail.