Otter notice
⚠️ Otter notice ⚠️
Please note that from Mon 2 Sept to Fri 6 Sept the otters will be off show whilst we complete works on their habitat. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Latest sightings
Water Rail and other birds
A great selection of birds to be seen around the reserve. Certainly possible to top 70 species in a days birding in the locality. Starting with some views of a Water Rail chick which narrowly avoided being eaten by Lesser Black-backed Gulls as it came out
26 June 2016
Bird News
The young Great Crested Grebes can currently be seen being fed on the adults back from the Harrier Hide, also Little Grebes from here. A Little Egret is still being seen occasionally from anywhere around the reserve, seen in flight flying towards Harrier
24 June 2016
Sightings Highlight
More summer fare as the nights start drawing in... Mostly about the breeding birds which currently are looking quite successful this year on the whole. The Great-crested Grebes have three chicks and are viewable from the Harrier Hide. The Harrier Hide is
22 June 2016
First Great-crested Grebe chicks.
Yesterday's rain continued into the morning eventually giving way to sunshine and a brisk westerly. Today highlights are dominated by the news of the first of the Great-crested Grebes eggs to hatch. This is the first time these birds have bred on the rese
20 June 2016
Wood Sandpipers
Starting off calm and overcast ending with rain and light southerlies. Two Wood Sandpiper that dropped onto Woodend Marsh mid morning were new for the year, and still present late afternoon being chased around by Avocet. Other waders included 2 male Ruff
19 June 2016
White-winged Black Tern
The undoubted highlight today was the appearance of a White-winged Black Tern (3rd cal year/2nd sum) which graced the Mere most of the morning before relocating to Ron Barker area and then back and forth between the two for the rest of the day.
18 June 2016
Bird News
Once again, a great variety of birds on view today. The Cuckoos which have been showing regulary from the Ron Barker hide for some time now, are drawing the most attention - it's a bird which has become pretty rare for many of us in recent years, and the
17 June 2016
Drake Garganey in Teal influx
A pleasant day not too hot or cold finishing off with a thunder storm late on. More signs of post breeding as ~ 50 Teal are counted on the reserve this morning. In among them on Sunley's Marsh a drake Garganey starting to moult. A good selection of wildfo
16 June 2016
Spotted Redshank
Highlight today was the brief appearance of a summer plumaged Spotted Redshank that was heard flying in and landing in front of Harrier Hide late afternoon during a big period of rain, however it had gone only 20 mins later. The Cuckoos were seen again fr
15 June 2016
Bird News
The pair of Cuckoos were again showing on and off from Ron Barker Hide, most often in the trees to the left of the hide in between Kingfisher Hide and Ron Barker, also from here a Kingfisher, the first sighting reported for a while. A Great Spotted Woodpe
14 June 2016
Bird News
The Cuckoos can still be seen from Ron barker Hide or from Kingfisher Hide today. Also the first sighting in a while of a Marsh Harrier was reported from Ron Barker this afternoon. Little Ringed Plovers showing well from Harrier Hide today, the Great Cres
13 June 2016
Bird news
The Cuckoo continues to show well at times from Ron Barker Hide, also a Barn Owl was seen this afternoon from here and a rarely seen bird in the form of a Water Rail that was out feeding along the edge of the reedbed. Blac
12 June 2016
Red Kite
Bird of the day today was the first record of Red Kite for the year - a rather distant individual seen from the Ron Barker hide this afternoon. Also from the Ron Barker hide, the Cuckoo was again seen and heard throughout the day.
9 June 2016
Bird News
Birds in recent days have included both Hobby and Peregrine with the latter being mobbed by a Common Tern when flying past with food in it's talons. The usual Common Buzzards, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk also being seen. Cuckoos have been sighted or heard on
8 June 2016
Hobby & Cuckoo
The Hobby was seen again from Ron Barker Hide, also the 2 Cuckoos were seen again in the same area from Ron Barker. Five Black-tailed Godwit were on the Mere but no sign of any of the Ruff today. Little Ringed Plovers continue to show well around the Mere
5 June 2016