Latest Sightings
This week's rains have been fine weather for ducks, with small groups of widgeon, shelduck and a single pochard spotted on the mere. The pintail have also been reaching the end of their eclipse, with some males showing their fresh breeding plumage.
In terms of other wintering birds, our dawn survey on the 4/10 counted 3375 pink-footed geese, with sometimes very small numbers spending the day on the mere.
It has been a busy week for Ron Barker hide, with the barn owl, merlin, and 6 over-summering whooper swans spotted. In the fields, green sandpiper were spotted on Ashtons, and 14 cattle egret were sighted with the longhorn herd behind Tomlinson hide, where stonechat can be seen. 13 snipe have also been spied on the mere, as well as a raven from United Utilities hide, and cetti's warbler in the reedbed.
From today, we will be beginning our winter feeds outside Raine's and Discovery hides. This will be occurring twice daily, in the morning and at 3pm, so that we can get the birds used to the feeding routine before talks begin on the 14th of October. These are a great chance to see the birds up close to the hides.
