Latest Sightings
Damp all day! Plenty of birds around even if the birds of prey were slightly subdued.
Wildfowl counts included 780 Whooper Swan roosting, 1200 Pink-footed Geese in the vicinity, 160+ Greylag, 18 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, 517 Shelduck, 1500+ Teal, 880 Wigeon, 300 Pintail, 37 Pochard, 21 Tufted Duck, 4 Gadwall and 4 Shoveler. First winter drake Goldeneye still present on Sunday.
Waders; 200+ Lapwing, 57 Avocet, 46 Oystercatcher, 100 Ruff, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Snipe and one Redshank. Woodcock in flight between the Gladstone and Janet Kear Hides.
Todays raptors included 3 Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. Yesterday a Red Kite was seen again in the afternoon.
Other sightings included 2 Little Egret, Great-crested Grebe, Little Grebe, 360 Black-headed Gull, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 4 Corn Bunting.
A Chiffchaff was singing by the Janet Kear Hide, the first away from the Sewage Works this spring.
The Bittern was heard booming again from the Harrier Hide yesterday.
If you are visiting Martin Mere for the first time and would like to know what is around and the best areas to see specific species do call in at the in focus shop, next to the Discovery Hide which over looks the Mere. It should be possible to see over 60 species in a day without too much difficulty.
