News
Basking common darter
While trying to get a photo of the elusive black darter yesterday morning, our reserve warden John got this nice shot of a common darter. It was basking on the boardwalk down at the amphibian ponds, which John and his team of volunteers have been working
1 September 2012
Northern Wheatear
More signs of autumn passage with a male Northern Wheatear from the Ron Barker Hide this morning. Common Swift moving south. Raptors providing most of the entertainment with 2+ Marsh Harrier, 6 Common Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Wader
1 September 2012
Today's sightings
The South Lake Wood Sandpiper 1 First winter LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 1 Adult winter Black-tailed Godwit 264 Redshank 76 Spotted Redshank 1 Adult winter Lapwing 120 Shoveler 70 The Holden Tower Little Stint 1 Dunlin 170 Ringed Plover 85 Red Knot 1 Whimbre
1 September 2012
Out on the reserve today
1 spoonbill (main observatory) 2 wood sandpiper (main observatory) 30 little egrets
1 September 2012
Wildlife sightings for 1st September 2012
2 Wigeon - main lake 2 Green Sandpiper - wader scrape 1 Common Sandpiper - main lake 7 Snipe - flushed off marsh by Harrier 1 Hobby - over site 1 Marsh Harrier - Juvenile flew in @ 9.00am landed in willow tree then flew off N @ 9.35am 5 Willow Warbler - s
1 September 2012
Out on the reserve today
Buzzard - 1 Hobby - 1 Common sandpiper - 2 Yellow wagtail on Bank farm pool near visitor centre
31 August 2012
Today's wildlife highlights (including a dragonfly site first)
Wader Lake (AM, low tide) 1 greenshank 2 common sandpiper 14 redshank 90 lapwing 2 common snipe 15 teal 6 gadwall 7 tufted duck (plus 3 ducklings) Plus, at the amphibian ponds, an emerald damselfy and a black darter dragonfly - the latter we believe to be
31 August 2012
Wildlife sightings for 31st August 2012
72 Shoveler - main lake, wader scrape, reservoir lagoon 1 Green Sandpiper - wader scrape 1 Common Sandpiper - main lake 2 Snipe - main lake 1 Kingfisher - wader scrape Recent bird highlights: Garganey, Peregrine, Hobby, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover
31 August 2012
Youngsters catch the volunteering bug
Taking part in "Be a Wetland Warden" Bayley, aged 8, and Finley, 6, are having fun finding out what it’s like to be wardens at WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes. They gave up an hour of their time this w
31 August 2012
Today's sightings
The Holden Tower MARSH HARRIER 1 Little Stint 1 Dunlin 170 Ringed Plover 80 Red Knot 3 Whimbrel 3 Curlew 360 Greenshank 1 Peregrine 1 Little Egret 10 Wheatear 3 The South Lake LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 1 Black-tailed Godwit 186 Redshank 78 Common Sandpiper 1
31 August 2012
... Missing title ...
300 curlew 459 black tailed godwits 26 greenshank 248 redshank 1 spotted redshank 1 ruff 45 lapwing spoonbill cormorants littel egrets 21 wigeon gadwall teal shoveler kingfisher
30 August 2012
Summer Round-up
Castle Espie Reserve Hatching of Black headed gulls slowed into June with 30 nests still to hatch from original 750. Gull chick survival was similar to 2011 in spite of the wet summer with one third of flocks made up of fledged young. Most had left
30 August 2012
Returning pink feet - is it Autumn already?
We have had our fist flock of 11 pink-footed geese arrive this morning. This was followed by another 6 after 12.30pm so the count should be higher by the end of the day with perfect weather conditions with this northerly wind. We normally expect the reall
30 August 2012
Arriving Pinkfeet
The first returning Pink footed Geese arrived this morning with a group of 11 just before midday, and a further flock of 6 by 12.45, so the count by the end of the day could well be higher with a good northerly wind aiding the birds arrival. Other sightin
30 August 2012
Today's sighting-Snow Geese
Lesser Snow Geese- a flock of thirteen arrived from high and the north at 0740 and began circling the reserve. They dropped down onto the Top New Piece and fed for a while hence the distant image taken from the Holden Tower. Soon after the flock flew off
30 August 2012