Sightings
Happy New Year to all our readers!
A summary of recent days sightings, a Great White Egret was seen again on New Years Day from Ron Barker Hide. Up to 3 Little Egrets can be seen around the reserve most days.
Barn Owls have been showing well at times from mid afternoon onwards around the back edge of the Mere in recent days. Tawny Owls continue to be seen at either ends of the reserve, call in to the In Focus shop for details.
A juv female Peregrine continues to be seen most days, also 1-2 Merlin being seen most days as well as the usual Marsh Harriers, Common Buzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.
On the Reedbed walk Cetti's Warblers (at least 4 males this year) can be heard and seen if lucky or patient, Water Rail are present here too with one being heard calling by the Harrier Hide on New Years Day. Towards the end of the Community Redbed walk up to 2-3 Corn Bunting can be seen most days, also the chance of Yellowhammer in this area.
At least 800 Whooper Swans can be seen around the reserve and in local fields at the moment as well as up to 6000 Pink-footed Geese. Lots of duck around the reserve with recent counts of 3000 Teal, 3000 Mallard, 200 Pintail, 500 Shelduck, 47 Pochard, 52 Tufted Duck, 10 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler and 2-3 Goldeneye.
Good numbers of Ruff being seen with at least 70 being counted most afternoons at the 3pm feed in front of Discovery Hide, also with a few Black-tailed Godwits. Elsewhere around the reserve a recent count of 100 Snipe as well as 2 Jack Snipe in the same wet field at the end of the Community Reedbed Walk, also a small number of Woodcock regularly spend the winter on site with one recently being flushed close to the path in between Janet Kear and UU Hide. Good numbers of Lapwing on the reserve with at least 2000 birds present.
Plenty of small birds to be seen especially at the few feeding stations around the reserve especially from Janet Kear Hide including Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Goldcrest can be seen as well.
