1 August 2008
Barn Owls have nested at WWT Martin Mere for the first time since 1992 and produced two chicks that are ready to fledge.
A number of Barn Owls use the reserve to hunt for food but they have not nested on site for a long period of time. The nest is located in the roof of the Harrier Hide, which was only built five years ago specifically designed to provide space for nesting barn owls and bats. In total six eggs were laid in the nest, with four hatching and sadly only two surviving. The chicks have been ringed so that they can be monitored in the future.
This latest news only adds to what has been a very good breeding season with a record number of 53 pairs of Tree Sparrows nesting and 58 Avocets on site, compared to a peak of 51 in 2007. Reserve Manager, Chris Tomlinson, said: “We are continually seeing more and more migrant birds nesting each year. Only four years ago we would have only seen a very small number of Avocets and numbers have grown every year as we have developed the land to make the habitat suitable for them. We hope that the numbers will continue to grow in the future.”
Last year WWT launched a waders campaign because populations of breeding waders have fallen dramatically in recent years as wet grasslands are lost to agricultural drainage. British wading birds need wet grassland to live and breed, yet it is one of the fastest disappearing habitats in the UK. A high proportion of breeding waders are therefore concentrated in just a few sites, so it is vital that these areas are protected and maintained.
The Centre is not just for birds however, a new species of moth has been recorded on site recently. Each week the in focus team put out moth traps to monitor numbers of species and late last week the Euzophera pinguis, part of the Pyralid group of Moths, was discovered with its distinctive diagnostic zigzag lines and bands of dark and pale colour. Its wingspan is 23 to 28mm and would usually be found in the Southern half of Britain.
In addition, the Waterfowl collection has also had a very good breeding season with thirteen flamingo chicks born, three Demoiselle Crane chicks (first for the Centre) and over 150 hand-reared endangered ducks in the duckling nursery which attracted over 16,000 visitors and won a prestigious Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board award.
WWT Martin Mere is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pmand parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The Centre is also accessible via the Southportto Manchester and the Liverpoolto Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. Visit the web site http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit/martinmere/ to find out what’s on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight centres.