Latest Sightings
Its been a very wild weekend, with the stormy weather bringing in an unusual bird! Since Saturday, a red-breasted goose has been spotted frequently accompanying the greylag geese on Plover Field and at the back of the mere. United Utilities hide has been offering the best views. This small species is usually found wintering in South-East Europe, and breeds up in the arctic.
Also from United Utilities hide, a bittern was spotted on Sunday, and today the barn owl was seen hunting over the fields during the morning and into the early afternoon. This was presumably because the stormy weather was too windy and rainy for the barn owl to hunt last night.
Along with these sightings, the usual favourites can still be found across the reserve, with the sparrowhawk making appearances at Janet Kear hide, the cattle egrets accompanying the cattle in Long Meadow, the marsh harriers flying over the reedbed, and the numbers of winter wildfowl - wigeon, pochard, pintail, whooper swans - are still steadily increasing as we advance further into the season.
(Photo: Barn Owl - Charlie Lowe)
