Latest Sightings
The yellow-browed warbler has been proving more elusive the past few days but still present as of today. Also at the sewage farm the 2 Siberian chiffchaffs were showing well this morning and a number of overwintering common chiffchaffs are both at the sewage farm and over different areas of the reserve as well, with one seen by Janet Kear yesterday.
Oystercatchers are continuing to rise in numbers with 14 on the mere today, other waders on the mere included 6 black-tailed godwits and a number of ruff dotted around. A single ruff was also on Woodend marsh this morning along with 3 snipe, the usual gatherings of teal and 47 wigeon.
Harrier hide is attracting the most diving ducks at the moment, definitely the best place to see tufted ducks on the reserve and also had 15 pochards this morning. 2 little grebes were also in front of Harrier hide and a single bird in the Sluice by United Utilites. Plenty of gadwall are still using the pool in font of Harrier hide and the Mere is full of shelducks, pintails, wigeons and whoopers. Also, 2 redhead goosanders flew over Catty Bank on Tuesday.
14 marsh harriers were counted on the reserve yesterday morning, with the usual numbers of buzzards and kestrels. 3 barn owls were hunting near Woodend marsh on Tuesday evening and a lovely peregrine was chasing lapwings around on the mere this morning!
We are lucky to have three species of egrets using the reserve at the moment with at least 2 great white egrets, often seen along the sluice or from Ron Barker, a number of little egrets and 2 cattle egrets that are seen intermittently with the cattle and sometimes on the mere.
