Otter encounter
Otter spotted
Otter surprise
Whilst I was checking levels and readings on the pump at the South Finger Reed (filtration) bed I heard rustling in the grass and exepcted a member of staff to appear, it turned out to be an Otter that sopped to look at me for a few seconds, just a few feet away!. It calmly continued into the large settling pool only to disappear without trace. MJM.
The beds are designed to naturally filter and clean up water before it leaves the grounds and reserve, it also provides a brilliant wildlife habitat and can be viewed from the screen, mound, hides and one section is open as a summer trail.
Top New Piece
The juvenile Spotted Redshank, 5 juvenile Ruff, Redshank + 220 Teal and 15 Shoveler were on the flood with 3 Wigeon and a Pintail among them.
Tack Piece
Flocks of Teal and Gadwall on the scrape with a single Green Sandpiper. 6+ Chiffchaff were viewable from the Martin Smith Hide with a single Reed Warbler also seen.
Rushy Hide
Green Sandpiper, 40 Teal and 3 Black-tailed Godwit as well as the female Wigeon and hybrid male.
South Lake
21 Ruff before they began to disperse to other scrapes, the juvenile Spotted Redshank from Hogarth Hide until it joined 5 Ruff and flew off. In addition there were140 Lapwing, 155 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Snipe, 20 Redshank, flocks of Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Greylag and Teal, Buzzard and Kingfisher flew through.
