Holme Bird Observatory (Header)

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COVID-19 Update Monday 12th April 2021

Further to the lifting of restrictions on Monday 12th April 2021 the NOA reserves and car parks remain open to visitors but hides remain closed. We are hoping to be able to open hides to visitors on Monday 17th May 2021 in line with expected changes to government restrictions, and will post further updates on this page prior to the changes commencing.
We continue to thank all our members and visitors for their patience, and for continuing to keep our staff and visitors safe.

Sunday 1st May 2016

Light southerlies produced a window of movement for many species today with highlights including 2 Red Kites drifting over west, an Osprey which passed offshore, 5 Whimbrel near Thornham Harbour, 5 Little Terns and a Common Tern west on the sea, a Short-eared Owl on the NWT reserve, 1 Hobby passing through, a Peregrine, 2 Sand Martins, 40+ Swallows, 6 House Martins, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 20+ Willow Warblers, 8 Blackcaps, 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 10 Whitethroats, a Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Turtle Doves, 3 Cuckoos, 14 Sedge Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, a Ring Ouzel, Whinchat and Stonechat in the dunes on the NWT, 30+ Yellow Wagtails with the cattle on the grazing marsh, and 4 Redpolls over calling.

A search in the morning from Walsey Hills for the Temminck's Stint seen the previous evening proved fruitless, but on the marsh a lone Spoonbill was actively feeding. Elsewhere on Pope's and Arnold's marshes were 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 12 Ringed Plovers, 3 Ruff, 29 Dunlins and 2 Yellow Wagtails - 58 Brent Geese also remained. In the scrub and reeds at Walsey 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat, 6 Blackcaps, 4 Sedge Warblers and 1 Reed Warbler were singing or feeding. Overhead a small number of Swallows, a party of 3 Yellow Wagtails and a Siskin flew west, whilst 11 Common Swifts were noted moving along the beach.

One of several typically confiding Common Lizards - Walsey Hills, May 2016