Wildlife sightings for 8th December 2013
1 Bearded Tit - calling from grazing marsh, right hand side of the channel, amongst the purple loosestrife
1 Bittern - main lake S shore
1 Pintail - scrape, female
1 Mandarin - reservoir lagoon
66 Shoveler - main lake, scrape
1 Jack Snipe - grazing marsh
15 Redwing - south route
December bird highlights: Goosander, Brent Goose, Bittern, Peregrine, Jack Snipe, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Tawny Owl, Bearded Tit, Brambling, Mealy Redpoll, Lapland Bunting.
2 Bitterns that arrived in early October have been spotted mostly in the middle reedbed channel and on the north shore of the main lake.
Bearded Tit has been seen several times in the reedbed near to the Headley Hide during the first week of November.
Redwings, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches and Song Thrushes are all on the move, visible from any part of the reserve where there’s a good view of the open sky. Look out for some high-flying flocks of Geese or perhaps even some Bewick’s Swan passing over, especially during or following some easterly winds.
Check out any mixed flocks of Tits and Warblers for a possible rarity this month – a Yellow-browed Warbler or a Firecrest is a definite possibility this month, especially with a good easterly wind blowing!
Water voles: the latest on-site population study has shown that all the water voles are in very good condition and the males are ranging quite some distance. The majority of captures were in the reedbed channels, despite there being signs of plenty of activity in the pools and meanders inside of Wildside (latrine sites, feeding sites and burrows).
