Latest sightings
Bird News
A great variety of birds on the reserve today, the undoubted highlight being a Bittern in flight over Top Mere. Wader numbers are starting to increase, with 87 Ruff, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew, 2 [...]
16 February 2012
Bird News
Great conditions for viewing today, if a tad cold at times in the wind. Waders still to the fore with over 2000 Lapwing, 100 Ruff, 14 Oystercatcher, 10 Common Snipe, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 2 [...]
15 February 2012
Kittiwake and Waders
As milder weather takes hold we see further changes of birds present around the reserve. Today an obvious influx of waders including, 10 Oystercatcher, 4 Ringed Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew a [...]
14 February 2012
Bird News
Plenty of activity around the reserve as milder condition take hold. The Mere was ice free by the afternoon so no amusing crash landing ducks as of recent days.. As usual lots of raptors hunting a [...]
13 February 2012
Bittern Again
A Bittern flew out of the reeds by the Janet Kear Hide and over the trees dropping in the reeds, along the cut to the right of the path, before the Harrier Hide. We would assume it was the same bird s [...]
12 February 2012
Bird News
Raptors were out in good numbers today, with counts of 3 Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail), 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Kestrel and 1 Sparrowhawk received. 8 White-fronted Geese were with up to 2, [...]
10 February 2012
100 Species
A Mistle Thrush in the car park this morning, probably over looked in the last 6 weeks, brings the reserve year list onto 100 species. The year list is of course a bit of fun, and given that we have o [...]
9 February 2012
Greenland White-fronts and other Geese.
The first Greenland White-fronted Geese of the year with 7 adult birds and a couple of immature birds, also at least one European White-front present with ~1000 Pink-footed Geese mid morning. [...]
8 February 2012
Bittern but will it Boom?
Top birding day! A Bittern was seen to fly in over the reed beds in front of the Harrier Hide. Most of the UK's wintering population of Bittern comes from continental Europe, so there's a good [...]
7 February 2012
Cetti's Still present
No surprise really but the Cetti's Warbler was heard and briefly seen along the Red Bed Walk early afternoon. It did feel quite warm in the sun and notably a few insect on the wing after suc [...]
6 February 2012
A Slight Thaw
A touch of black ice and fog is never an ideal start to the bird watching day, but by mid afternoon the sun was out, the mist had cleared, and we had hit a barmy 5 degrees centigrade on the reserve. P [...]
5 February 2012
More Geese
More geese this morning just off the reserve in a harvested carrot field between here and the LWT reserve at Mere Sands Wood. Seven Tundra Bean Geese and 5 European White-fronted Geese nearby at Windm [...]
4 February 2012
Whoopers and Beans!
This morning's count of 1,850 Whooper Swans was the highest of the year so far. Also this morning, a group of 10 "tundra" Bean Geese were feeding with Pink-footed Geese in fields bording [...]
3 February 2012
Water Rails
3 Water Rails, 2 from the Kingfisher hide and 1 from the Janet Kear hide were among today's birding highlights. Although present all year, and not uncommon, this species can prove very difficult t [...]
2 February 2012
Woodcock
Dawn till dusk sunshine and great visibility yet again, although well worth putting a couple of extra layers on if you want to sit it out in the hides! Woodcock from the Janet Kear Hide was new fo [...]
1 February 2012