Shelduck on the wader scrape
2 Shelduck on the wader scrape, 6 Snipe spread out across the reserve and 7 Pintail continue on the grazing marsh and main lake.
1 Bittern - main lake N shore (Headley Hide)
2 Shelduck - wader scrape
1 Goldeneye - sheltered lagoon
7 Pintail - main lake, grazing marsh
6 Snipe - wader scrape, grazing marsh, main lake
1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh
40 Fieldfare - flew W p.m.
2 Peregrine - perched on the hospital
January bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bittern, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Jack Snipe, Little Owl, Peregrine, Red Kite, Kestrel, Caspian Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Water Pipit, Kingfisher, Siskin.
Bitterns (up to 4 birds so far) can be found mostly on the main lake shores, particularly the north shore. The flooded wader scrape and marsh have plenty of feeding winter duck including Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal, as well as Jack Snipe, Snipe and Water Pipit. Also on the main lake there’s been occasional Yellow-legged Gull, hunting Peregrine, Water Rail, Snipe and Lapwing. Gadwall and Goldeneye can be found on the reservoir lagoon. Cetti’s Warbler, Water Rail and Reed Bunting can be seen and heard in any of the reedbed areas, particularly on the wildside west route. A colour ringed Black-headed Gull with the ring number T2TW was seen on site on January the 31st 2019, with subsequent information revealing the bird was originally ringed in Gdansk Poland on the 31st May 2018.
Water voles: sightings from the south route Wildwalk bridge pool (in the Pond Sedge), and from Wildside ponds close to the Wildside entrance.
Fungi: Bark Bonnet, Beech Tarcrust, Beech Woodwort, Birch Polypore, Collared Earthstar, Field Blewitt, Green Elf Cup, Egg-shell Slime Mould, Conifer Mazegill, Coral Spot, Greyling Bracket, Oak Mazegill, Poplar Bells.
Early flowering plants: Hazel, Alder, Cock's-foot Grass, Winter Aconite, Red and White Dead-nettle, Early Crocus, Snowdrop.
