Brambling 'flock'
More winter weather in the past two days with the occasional hail shower strafing the reserve. Saturday looks good weather wise, milder and wetter on Sunday.
No real obvious change on the wildfowl front, see previous sightings for approximate counts. Perhaps not quite as many Pink-footed Geese around during the day. Any flocks are always worth checking through with recent Bean and White-fronts present in the locality.
Raptors have been active between the showers with at least 5 different Marsh Harrier present, 6+ Buzzard, 2 Peregrine (imm male + imm female), 2+ Kestrel and 2 Sparrowhawk. Barn Owl out hunting in the morning.
Waders; 2000+ Lapwing, 80+ Ruff, 20+ Snipe, 20+ Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank and 2 Oystercatcher. We can expect the first returning Avocet in the next 3-4 weeks.
The long staying female Brambling has been joined by a second female. View the table feeding on the right from inside the Kingfisher Hide.
If you are visiting Martin Mere for the first time and would like to know what is around and the best areas to see specific species do call in at the in focus shop, next to the Discovery Hide which over looks the Mere. It should be possible to see over 60 species in a day without too much difficulty.
*Top Tip* Bring some paper towels to give the hide windows a wipe between the showers so you don’t have to freeze to death with the hide windows open.
