Latest sightings
Reserve Update Tuesday 18th October
Neither the yellow-browed Warbler nor the Great Egret have been seen (or heard) this morning. The recent high tides have seen the Merse compartments flooded which is drawing the wildfowl. Another high tide is forecast for this afternoon which will make
18 October 2016
Latest Sightings - 17th October - another big tide!
The recent high tides have flooded the merses and provided great feeding areas for Pintail, Wigeon and Teal. The Great Egret is on the eastern merse from Avenue Tower this morning. A Yellow-browed Warbler was heard halfway down the Avenue first thing, but
17 October 2016
Latest Sightings 15th October - Green-winged Teal returns
The drake Green-winged Teal is back on the Folly Pond now and is halfway through his moult. The vertical white stripe is just visible on the side of the body and we have seen a metal ring on his right leg making us almost certain that this is the same bir
15 October 2016
Latest Sightings 14th October - Lazy geese
The Barnacle Geese are being very lazy this morning, most of them are still out on the roost. They will hopefully get moving soon. The Great Egret was in the Flood Ground this morning, having possibly popped across to Cumbria yesterday. It has moved off a
14 October 2016
Reserve Update Wednesday 12th October
Late update for the reserve today. Plenty of Barnacle Goose activity around the reserve today, predominantly caused by overflying aircraft causing the birds to lift off the fields. At least four leucistic birds have been observed within the different
12 October 2016
Sunday October 9th update
Little change from yesterday, with Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese in profusion within the fields and on the merses. The 27 Whooper Swans remain in the Northpark stubble near the approach road-end, just over a mile away. The Great Egret continues to altern
9 October 2016
Latest Sightings - 8th October - over 10,000 Barnacle Geese!
A whopping 16,000 Barnacle Geese were on the reserve yesterday. This morning we have 10,250 on the fields and merses! The Great Egret is on the Folly Pond at the moment, with a Little Egret for comparison. Today's high tide 17:21, 7.8m Around the reserve
8 October 2016
Latest Sightings - 7th October - over 6000 Barnies now!
More Barnacle Geese have arrived overnight with a fantastic 8318 on the reserve this morning! The Great Egret is amongst the Barnies out on the merse. 13 Whooper Swans are on the Folly Pond, but they are very mobile at present, often feeding in stubble fi
7 October 2016
Reserve Update Thursday 6th October - Barnacles are arriving
The influx of Barnacle Geese slowly crept up through the day yesterday with 1,200 recorded during this mornings count in Corner Field. These birds have now moved down onto the Merse and are best viewed from Saltcot Observatory. The Great Egret is also
6 October 2016
Reserve Update Wednesday 5th October
Keep your eyes peeled for the Whooper Swans on your drive into the reserve this morning as they are favouring the stubble fields at the road end. Twenty four did drop into Folly Pond for a brief spell yesterday afternoon. The Great White Egret continu
5 October 2016
Tuesday October 4th
Whooper Swans are still operating just to the north of the reserve near the end of the approach road, about a mile from the centre here. These can just about be seen from The Farmhouse Tower and have increased from yesterday's 12 up to 19. They're coming!
4 October 2016
Monday update, October 3rd
12 Whooper Swans are just off the reserve to the north and just visible with binoculars/telescope, to the north at Newmains Pond from The Farmhouse Tower. No real change in the Barnacle Goose situation, with 4 birds alongside the above-mentioned Whooper
3 October 2016
Sunday 2nd October - a trickle of Barnacles
10 Barnacle Geese are feeding in Low Middle Field, along with 270 Pinkfeet. These are probably the first arrivals since the early group of 36 came in a fortnight ago and may just be the first genuine migrants from Svalbard for the winter season. Just one
2 October 2016
Latest Sightings - 1st October - First Whoopers arrive and more Pink-feet!
After 3 Whooper Swans arrived on the reserve yesterday, we now have 8 adult Whoopers this morning. They are currently feeding in the Ridden Field near the Avenue Tower. Clearly it was a good night for migration. As well as the extra Whoopers, we have 137
1 October 2016
Reserve Update Friday 30th September
Wigeon numbers are building up on the reserve with birds to be seen at Folly Pond, Whooper Pond, out on the Flood Ground and Merse. A Peregrine was once again seen swooping along the Merse from the Avenue Tower yesterday afternoon. Once again we would l
30 September 2016