Increase in wintering wildfowl
With a drop in temperature we are seeing an increase in wintering wildfowl on the reserve. This week we have had counts of around 300 pintails and 400 teal on the folly pond.
With a drop in temperature we are seeing an increase in wintering wildfowl on the reserve.
Highest counts from this week include 300 pintails and 400 teal on the folly pond. Numbers of wigeon are also growing. We have had increased sightings of whooper swans, with 13 flying over today and one whooper settling in the whooper pond. Today, 7 barnacle geese made a brief stop in the folly pond, and up to 150 have been spotted flying over the reserve this week.
Up to 400 lapwing were counted near avenue tower. 2 ruffs have been spotted out on the Lochar field. There have been several sightings of merlin on the merse near saltcot.
Photo credit: Alex Hillier
As well as this week's highlights, you are likely to see the following on the reserve:
| Birds | Mammals | Butterflies | Damselflies & Dragonflies |
| Mute Swan | Hare | Common Blue | Large Red |
| Greylag geese | Roe Deer | Red Admiral | Blue-tailed |
| Canada Geese | Weasel | Meadow Brown | Azure |
| Shelduck | Stoat | Ringlet | Common Blue |
| Mallard | Fox | Green-veined White | Four-spotted Chaser |
| Gadwall | Large White | Banded Demoiselle | |
| Shoveler | Small Copper | Common Darter | |
| Teal | Large Skipper | ||
| Pheasant | Small Tortoiseshell | ||
| Cormorant | |||
| Little Egret | |||
| Grey Heron | |||
| Buzzard | |||
| Kestrel | |||
| Peregrine Falcon | |||
| Moorhen | |||
| Oystercatcher | |||
| Lapwing | |||
| Common Sandpiper | |||
| Redshank | |||
| Black-tailed Godwit | |||
| Curlew | |||
| Snipe | |||
| Black-headed Gull | |||
| Common Gull | |||
| Herring Gull | |||
| Great Black Backed Gull | |||
| Wood Pigeon | |||
| Collared Dove | |||
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | |||
| Skylark | |||
| Sand Martin | |||
| House Martin | |||
| Barn Swallow | |||
| Meadow Pipit | |||
| Pied Wagtail | |||
| Dunnock | |||
| Robin | |||
| Song Thrush | |||
| Blackbird | |||
| Blackcap | |||
| Whitethroat | |||
| Sedge Warbler | |||
| Willow Warbler | |||
| Chiffchaff | |||
| Wren | |||
| Great Tit | |||
| Coal Tit | |||
| Blue Tit | |||
| Long-tailed Tit | |||
| Treecreeper | |||
| Jackdaw | |||
| Rook | |||
| Carrion Crow | |||
| Raven | |||
| Starling | |||
| House Sparrow | |||
| Tree Sparrow | |||
| Chaffinch | |||
| Linnet | |||
| Goldfinch | |||
| Greenfinch | |||
| Reed Bunting |
