Sightings - Martin Mere
Wheatear & Martins
The highlights today included a male Wheatear on the boundary of the reserve and 4 Sand Martins which flew north at c18.30. Otherwise waders dominated with some more good counts, 87 Curlew were again [...]
7 April 2012
Curlew record
90 Curlews on the reserve today represents the highest total recorded here to date (the previous record was 74 in April 2004). Continuing the wader theme, Martin Mere's first Little Ringed P [...]
5 April 2012
No Osprey (again)
There are plenty of Osprey on the move at the moment with many passing over the North-West. Keep your eyes peeled as they are just about annual on the reserve and continue to move North into May. A ne [...]
4 April 2012
Swallow
I don't think the irony should be lost that the first definite sighting of Swallow on the reserve should come on a day when snow is forecast on the Pennines. How does that saying go, one Swallow.. [...]
3 April 2012
A few spots of rain.
It has been very dry over the last few weeks, and the current forecast isn't looking too hopeful for producing more than a few spots of rain that we had this morning and late afternoon. Regular re [...]
2 April 2012
Some counts
No surprises to see that recent counts put waterfowl numbers at the lowest since the beginning of the autumn migration. Thirty six Whooper Swan, 132 Teal, 128 Wigeon, 6 Pochard, 10 Tufted, 8 Gadwall, [...]
31 March 2012
Wheatears
Firstly, a belated report from yesterday, when 2 Wheatears were reported from the United Utilities hide. Todays highlight was a Short-eared Owl, which was seen from the Ron Barker hide along with at l [...]
30 March 2012
33 Whoopers
So much easier to count when the numbers drop away. Pretty much the last of the Whoopers with just 33 birds. In recent years we have had around 4 or 5 injured birds that over summer. Sixty six Avo [...]
28 March 2012
Crossbill and Greenshank
Crossbill seen feeding on Pines around the Kingfisher Hide. Crossbill is a rare bird on the reserve, this being only the third record for the reserve. There are apparently photographs of the bird. If [...]
27 March 2012
150 Whooper Swan
The Whooper Swan count this morning was down to 150. Ideal weather for them to be migrating North. Similar wader counts to yesterday although a few Common Snipe were also recorded. Worth noting th [...]
26 March 2012
Less Whoopers More Spring
A Whooper Swan count was down to 316 birds. Most of these will have left by the beginning of April. Water levels in front of the Ron Barker Hide were dropped a few weeks ago to provide better habitat [...]
25 March 2012
Scorchio!
How nice was today! Temperatures nudged 18 degrees and apparently it's likely to continue for the next 5 days at least. Now could somebody just improve the visibilty a bit and we will all be happy [...]
24 March 2012
Wildlife news
A bright morning, with a singing Chiffchaff outside the In Focus shop giving a very Spring-like feel to the day. Between 7 and 10 pm last night, numbers of Whooper Swans were heard apparently le [...]
22 March 2012
Whooper Count
Keeping with yesterday's winter theme, a roost count of 940 Whooper Swan was larger than expected. A Tundra Bean Goose was seen again late yesterday on Top Mere feeding on waste potatoes with ~ 70 [...]
20 March 2012
European White-fronts
Ah.. see, winter isn't over yet, with at least two adult European White-fronted Geese in a flock of ~ 1000 Pink-footed Geese on Plover Field this morning. A single Tundra Bean Goose was also seen [...]
19 March 2012