Wildlife sightings for 6th December 2014
1 Pintail - main lake
8 Snipe - main lake, wader scrape, grazing marsh
3 Fieldfare - flew NW
15 Redwing - flew N, NW
2 Stonechat - grazing marsh
November/December bird highlights: Woodcock, Bittern, Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye, Jack Snipe, Redshank, Dunlin, Iceland Gull, Little Gull, Caspian Gull, Short-eared Owl, Skylark, Water Pipit, Stonechat, Sedge Warbler.
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 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.
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.
Fungi: (report by C.Beazley) – Snowy Waxcap, Pleated Inkcap (a tiny, delicate fungi that can be found in grassy areas), Shooting Star (an amazing minute 2-3 mm macro-fungus found on woodchip on site), Elfin saddle, Deceiver (these chestnut/orange mushrooms are abundant onsite – so called as their appearance can be very variable! ), Yellowing Knight, Sweet Poisonpie, Funeral Bell (small specimens arising from woodchip along South Route), Rootlet Brittlestem (woodland edge besides Log Pile Garden on South Route), Fluted Bird’s-nest (car park woodchip in the vicinity of the bus roundabout). Tanned Pinkgill (near the lodge, amongst the Swamp Cyprus trees), Hairy Earthtongue (small black ‘tongues’ are abundant amongst grass opposite the duck tales exhibition on the south route), Girdled Webcap (still a few of these on the grassy area next to the slate garden – uncommon in our region),
