News

Todays sightings

Todays sightings

Pallid Harrier seen at lyle hide at 10.56am Crane 30 Little Grebe Marsh Harrier Greylag Goose Teal Lapwing Grey Heron Swallow Buzzard Kestrel Little Egret Snipe Black tailed Godwit Cormorant Tree Sparrow House Sparrow Goldfinch Wigeon Whooper Swan Mute Sw

26 September 2018

Wildlife sightings for 26th September 2018

Wildlife sightings for 26th September 2018

1 Little Egret - main lake 6 Water Rail - calling from the main reedbed 5 Snipe - grazing marsh, main lake 7 Meadow Pipit - 1 grazing marsh, 6 flying over heading W 3 Chiffchaff - South route, sheltered lagoon 9 Wigeon - main lake, wader scrape 1 Red Cres

26 September 2018

Wednesday's sightings

Wednesday's sightings

A small team from WWT Conservation and BU Global Environmental Solutions (BUG) from Bournemouth University are out on the reserve today survey our eel population and helping us understand more about them and inform what we can do to improve the reserve.

26 September 2018

c.7000 Pink-footed Geese

c.7000 Pink-footed Geese

Pink-footed Geese on the Mere A lovely autumn day, light winds and bright sunshine early on. A roosting count of Pink-footed Geese produced just under 7000 birds. A single Barnacle Goose was picked up with Pinks from

25 September 2018

Recent sightings 22nd-25th September

Recent sightings 22nd-25th September

Goshawk from the Kingfisher Kitchen. Photo: Nigel Williams British Steel Hide The highest number of Greenshank at the site has recently been recorded at 79, there have also been 579 Knot, 965 Black-tailed Godwit, 504

25 September 2018

Today's Highlights

Today's Highlights

Pallid harrier - see from Lyle Hide at 2:00 pm Mute swan Whooper swan (x58) Greylag Shoveler Mallard Gadwall Wigeon Garganey Teal Cormorant Moorhen Crane (x31) - Lady fen/reserve Curlew Black-tailed godwit Snipe Jack snipe - Main observatory Golden plo

25 September 2018

Wildlife sightings - 25/09/18

Wildlife sightings - 25/09/18

Wader Lake (AM, low tide): Avocet (juvenile) 1 Teal 17 Lapwing 230 Common snipe 1 Black-headed gull 165 Lesser black-backed gull (juveniles) 2 Herring gull 1   Hawthorn Wood feeding station: Great-spotted woodpecker 2 Coal tit 2 Blue tit 4 Robin 1 Ch

25 September 2018

Wildlife sightings for 25th September 2018

Wildlife sightings for 25th September 2018

1 Common Sandpiper - wader scrape 5 Snipe - wader scrape, grazing marsh, main lake 2 Meadow Pipit - grazing marsh 1 Kingfisher - middle reedbed channel 2 Willow Warbler - South route 5 Chiffchaff - South route, sheltered lagoon, wildside 2 Swallow - reser

25 September 2018

Latest Sightings - Tuesday 25th September - no sign of the Bittern so far

Latest Sightings - Tuesday 25th September - no sign of the Bittern so far

There are plenty of geese around the reserve this morning. Pink-footed Geese flying everywhere, some still out on the mud. Barnacle Geese can be seen from the Saltcot Merse Observatory around the trig point. No sign of the Bittern as yet this morning, and

25 September 2018

Water supply update

Water supply update

**Important information - Monday 24 Spetember - Our water supply has come back on as of 4.45pm, so we intend to open as normal and resume normal service in the morning - we will post an update tomorrow as early as possible if this is not the case. 

24 September 2018

Go-Plo's

Go-Plo's

Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide Two Golden Plover (Go-Plo's) with the Lapwing flock, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, up to 19 Ruff, Greenshank, 9 Snipe, 18 Wigeon, 24 Pintail, 700+ Teal, 2 Grey Heron and a Reed Warbler. Yellow Wagtail heard. South Lake Two Avocet, c

24 September 2018

Sand martin swarm hunting insects

Sand martin swarm hunting insects

Kingfisher scolds another! Photo by Romney Turner Recent wildlife sightings (does not include common species like coots, mute swans, black-headed gulls and mallard ducks): Sun 23 Sept: Scrape hide: marsh harrier, 26 t

24 September 2018

Pallid harrier and water supply update

Pallid harrier and water supply update

Today we are experiencing problems with out water supply, so facilities within the visitor cente are limited, but access to the reserve is open and will be open until 5pm today (last admissions at 4.30pm). Pallid harrier - 1 from Lyle hide at 11.40am Whoo

24 September 2018

Reserve update, Monday Sept 24th

Reserve update, Monday Sept 24th

Things happening today, with 4 Whooper Swans on the main feed pond along with a Scaup among the few Tufted Duck. (A further 15 or so Whoopers just off reserve on nearby Newmains). Barnacles slowly arriving - 36 yesterday, up to 214 today so far, mixed in

24 September 2018

Recent Sightings €- 24th September 2018

Recent Sightings €- 24th September 2018

The following sightings were recorded today at Low tide from the reserve at Castle Espie. Another large influx of Brent Geese have arrived on the Lough from Iceland, many thousands can now be heard calling across the Lough to Castle Espie. A lovely little

24 September 2018