Wildlife sightings for 21st December 2016
2 Bittern - main lake close to Headley hide
4 Pintail - main lake, grazing marsh
10 Mandarin - wildside
3 Snipe - grazing marsh
2 Peregrine - 1 over Fulham and 1 perched on hospital ledge
1 Kestrel - over South route
1 Stonechat - grazing marsh
November bird highlights: Bittern, Jack Snipe, Curlew, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Yellow-legged Gull, Goldeneye, Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher, Peregrine, Siskin, Redpoll, Skylark, Water Pipit, Stonechat.
Good numbers of wintering wildfowl have arrived with 192 Shoveler birds on the 1st December being yet another nationally significant count. The grazing marsh and wader scrape are being kept fairly wet to attract waders like Black-tailed Godwit, Jack Snipe and Common Snipe, as well as Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Gadwall and Greylag Geese. Water Pipit, Meadow Pipit and Stonechat have all been seen on the marsh fields in the last few months. Look out for interesting migrant Warblers or Firecrest that could turn up among the mixed Tit flocks, particularly among the Willow growth. Bitterns have been found mostly along the north shore of the main lake since mid-November.
Fungi: Silver Leaf Fungus, Blushing Rosette, Frosty Fibrecaps, Frosty Bonnet, Earpick Fungus.
Water Voles: seen on the edge of the reeds in Wildside on 10th December.
Bats: 2 Soprano Pipistrelles seen around the sheltered lagoon in the first two weeks of December.
Moths: December Moth, Tachystola acroxantha, Diamond Backed Moth, Chestnut (found in the 9th December moth trap).
Other insects: Slender Groundhopper.
