Wildlife sightings for 22nd January 2017
6 Bittern - main lake, reservoir lagoon
1 Bearded Tit - calling from reeds by Headley Hide
2 Jack Snipe - grazing marsh
1 Kingfisher - wader scrape
1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh
78 Wigeon - grazing marsh
8 Pintail - main lake
5 Snipe - grazing marsh, main lake
January bird highlights: Bittern, Jack Snipe, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Bearded Tit, Buzzard, Peregrine, Water Pipit, Stonechat, Siskin, Kingfisher, Water Rail.
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. Bearded Tit has been spotted on the main lake N shore as well as in the main reedbed (late December). A drake Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid remains on the sheltered lagoon or main lake. The shrill call of the Water Rail may be heard from many patches of reed across the site, and there are at least 10 birds present this winter.
Fungi: Silver Leaf Fungus, Blushing Rosette, Frosty Fibrecaps, Frosty Bonnet, Earpick Fungus.
Water Voles: two heard munching in the reed and sedge beds in wildside towards the end of the month. Also seen regularly in the Reed Swamp area in World Wetlands collection.
