News
WWT Martin Mere welcomes Meningitis Trust day
Feeding otters and swans guaranteed a fun time was had by all at the Meningitis Trust’s Lancashire Family Day at Martin Mere Wetland Centre, near Ormskirk yesterday (Sunday, 3 March). The sleek and slinky, but friendly, otters were the stars of the show
5 March 2013
Wildlife sightings for 5th March 2013
1 Bittern - reedbed channel next to wildside hide 82 Shoveler - site count 98 Teal - wader scrape 60 Wigeon - grazing marsh 6+ Snipe - marsh 50+ Fieldfare - playing fields 3+ Stonechat - marsh, perched on the fox fence 1 Reed Bunting - singing on marsh &n
5 March 2013
Today's sightings
Bittern sunning it' self at the Zeiss Hide this morning, Copyright JSLeesWWT The Zeiss Hide BITTERN 1 Showing very well sat warming up in the sun. White Wagtail 1 (First of the spring) Water Rail 2 Redshank 6 Dunlin 80 Lapwing 150 The Holden Tower Tundra
5 March 2013
Cetti's singing
The centre looks truly beautiful in the sun today. I have seen a Kingfisher with fish in it's beak from the Scrape hide, where a pair of Shoveler have been seen the last 2 days and aerial displays from the lapwing. I have also seen a water vole at the top
5 March 2013
Wetlands already full of spring heat as weather warms up
Spring is the season of New Life but, before then, each animal must find a mate. In this wintry weather, animals of all sorts are flirting as if their life, or their legacy, depended on it. Cranes dance with each other, like teenagers at a school disco. S
5 March 2013
Kate Humble posts letters of inspiration
100 years ago Captain Scott and his team bravely battled the Antarctic elements. Knowing he was about to lose that battle he wrote to his wife and urged her to get their young boy interested in nature. That letter inspired their boy, Sir Peter Scott, into
4 March 2013
Arrivals
The southerly component to the airflow paid dividends with the arrival of more Avocet, now 34 birds. Four pairs were seen mating, spring is definitely on it's way! Further mating activity today with our regular pair of Peregrines copulating on the fence p
4 March 2013
Today's bird highlights
Today’s highlights include bittern, red kite, buzzard, peregrine, 14 little egret, 6 greenshank, spotted redshank, 21 redshank, 73 lapwing, 98 wigeon, 5 water rail, great crested grebe, 2 little grebe, cetti’s warbler, goldcrest, 2 great spotted woodp
4 March 2013
Today's sightings
Cranes- 8 Great Crane Project still about the reserve today Holden Tower Wigeon 560 American Wigeon x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid male Peregrine 1 Rushy Bewick's Swan 250 (270 still here, no departures) Pintail 210 Tack Piece Golden Plover 25 Dunlin 200 E Whi
4 March 2013
Out on the reserve today
Avocet - 4 Curlew - 6 Crane - 1 (flew over)
4 March 2013
Wildlife sightings for 4th March 2013
1 Shelduck - scrape 70 Shoveler - main lake and scrape 61 Wigeon - scrape, marsh 60 Gadwall - scrape 1 Bearded Tit - marsh (nr. to the reedbed-side of the marsh) Recent bird highlights: Smew, Shelduck, Bittern, Peregrine, Dunlin, Woodcock, Skylark
4 March 2013
Frogs croaking
The last thing I expected to here yesterday was a male Common Frog croaking in the reedbed, especially after all the cold weather of late. A Jack Snipe was spotted feeding in front of the Scrape hide towards the end of yesterday. 5 Wigeon were a pleasant
4 March 2013
A late Bewick's Swan
Surprise bird of the day was a single Bewick's Swan mid afternoon on the Mere with ~ 500 Whooper Swan. It's been the quietest winter on record for this Siberian species with only two other sightings on the reserve in 2013. The adult breeding plumage Medit
3 March 2013
Today's wildlife sightings
Wader Lake Grey heron - 35 Shelduck - 6 Teal - 27 Mallard - 41 Redshank - 12 Lapwing - 8 Canada goose - 2 Greylag goose - 3 Saline lagoon Shelduck - 36 Canada goose - 7 Mallard - 23 Hawthorn Wood Bullfinch, great tit, blue tit, robin, siskin, coal
3 March 2013
Today's highlights
Today’s highlights include 2 great white egret, 9 little egret, 12 black tailed godwit, 71 curlew, 45 redshank, 2 greenshank, 7 snipe, 19 lapwing, water rail, peregrine, buzzard, 84 wigeon, 111 shelduck, 13 shoveler, 4 little grebe, great crested grebe,
3 March 2013