Wildlife sightings for 24th January 2015
1 Bittern - Main lake N shore
2 Water Rail - Grazing marsh
3 Pintail - Main lake
2 Stonechat - Grazing marsh
1 Coal Tit - World wetlands
January bird highlights: Shelduck, Bittern, Little Egret, Goosander, Peregrine, Pheasant, Woodcock, Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull, Kingfisher, Stonechat.
Good numbers of wintering wildfowl are settling in for the winter ahead, many of which have migrated from as far east as Siberia to get here. The flooded grazing marsh in particular is attracting plenty of Teal that move back and forth from the river in line with the daily tides. Gadwall, grazing Wigeon and Shoveler also favour this habitat at this time of year, feeding on lots of seed leftover from the summer growth of Rushes, Bur-reeds, Loosestrifes, Fleabanes, Docks and grasses. Jack Snipe and Snipe will be probing the soft muddy edges for invertebrate food. The marsh also holds Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Water Rail, Reed Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler and occasional Water Pipit and Bearded Tit.
The wader scrape attracts similar wildfowl, particularly Teal, but with a larger expanse of wet mud there’s the chance of the odd visiting wader species like Dunlin or Redshank.
The first wintering Bittern arrived late October and is currently favouring the main lake reed fringes, particularly the north shore. Two birds have been seen since mid-November with one spotted along the reservoir lagoon north shore (early December).
