Latest sightings
Little Stint again
Light patchy rain and another good day for waders! A Little Stint flew in with Dunlin late morning and spent the rest of the day feeding on Vinson's Marsh. Little Stint in between Lapwing and Dunlin. An influx of Avoc
11 August 2017
Spotted Redshank new for the year
A day without rain made for pleasant birding on and around the reserve today. Perhaps it was last nights weather that dropped in a mostly moulted adult Spotted Redshank that was present on Vinson's Marsh this morning. Spot
9 August 2017
Getting Otter
Sighting of the day goes to an Otter seen swiming down Lanley's Brook past the Ron Barker Hide heading into the reserve. We had sighings last year from the Harrier Hide so keep your eye's peeled. More showery weather and a continued turnover of waders in
8 August 2017
Latest Sighting
Sunday started off bright and a little overcast followed by light rain in the afternoon. The Little Stint was present at the back of Sunley's early and then again from around 4pm. At least 8 Dunlin present, 800+ Black-tailed Godwit, 500+ Lapwing, 3 Green
6 August 2017
Little Stint and 13 other species of waders
A great start to the day with the arrival (overnight?) of a Little Stint out on Vinson's Marsh before flying to the back of Sunley's. Plenty of vegetation for such a small bird to hide amongst. Little Stint this morning wi
5 August 2017
Lazy update
Basically all the birds seen yesterday have been seen again today! So the Wood Sandpiper is still performing well from the Ron Barker Hide, Hobby seen in the afternoon etc. A Roe Deer was seen from the United Utilities Hide this afternoon. See yesterday/p
4 August 2017
Record Count
We have been edging towards a record count of Black-tailed Godwit and today we have (unofficially) hit 1100 mark breaking the previous record from July 1987 of 1075. Our godwits are of the icelandic race and these birds have been returning from the icelan
3 August 2017
Sandpiper Trio
No, not the mid sixties folk/rock singing band but the classic Wood, Green, Common Sandpiper mix that generally inhabits the same page of a good field guide on british birds. All three were present today and showing from the Ron Barker Hide.
1 August 2017
Pied Flycatcher new for 2017
This is an edited version of the original report as it has come to light that we have had a few records of Pied Flycatcher on the reserve although this is the first for ~20 years. Hot on the heels of Wednesday's Gull-bill Tern, a imm Pied Flycatche
30 July 2017
Latest Sightings
Sunshine and showers with more to come makes for an interesting week ahead. Risky to predict anymore rarities but we wouldn't want to rule out the chance of a wader or two dropping in. It's all calmed down a little since Wednesday's Gull-billed Tern, wher
28 July 2017
Gull-billed Tern a first for the reserve
Exciting start to the day when an adult Gull-billed Tern flew in during a rain shower onto the Mere. Never before recorded on the reserve this species does occur annually in the UK in small numbers but breeds in Southern / South-Eastern Mediterranean. A f
26 July 2017
Latest Sighting
Looking interesting for the next couple of days as a fast moving pressure system is swept across the Atlantic by the jet stream. Will that mean an influx of rare North American waders on the West Coast of the UK? Probably not but we can only hope. Wader c
25 July 2017
Weekend Sightings
Sighting from the weekend... Continuing the wader theme with Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 15+ Ruff, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 200+ Lapwing, 2 Avocet, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatcher, 10 Dunlin, Redshank and Snipe. Raptors inclu
23 July 2017
Wader action to come..
With wader migration picking up the next few weeks should be interesting particularly if we get some weather fronts moving through. Currently we have a good selection on the reserve over the past two days which includes 150+ Black-tailed Godwit, 200+ Lapw
21 July 2017
Marsh Harrier
A juvenile Marsh Harrier was seen around the reserve today along with the usual Buzzard and Kestrel. A 1st summer Little Gull and 1st summer Mediterranean Gull were on the Mere mid afternoon. A brood of 4 Gadwall chicks were accompanying mum around the Me
19 July 2017