News
Wildlife sightings for 5th October 2012
2 Pintail - wader scrape 94 Shoveler - main lake, wader scrape 14 Wigeon - sheltered lagoon, wader scrape 3 Snipe - grazing marsh 21 House Martin - feeding over main lake 2 Siskin - wildside Recent bird highlights: Peregrine, Buzzard, Hobby, Red Kite, C
5 October 2012
Today's sightings
The Holden Tower PECTORAL SANDPIPER 1 First winter Dunlin 70 Ringed Plover 2 Greenshank 1 Grey Plover 40 Golden Plover 14 Curlew 80 Egyptian Goose 1 Peregrine 1 Kestrel 2 Buzzard 2 Merlin 1 The South Lake Spotted Redshank 1 Redshank 50 Black-tailed Godwit
5 October 2012
Catch the Rainforest Bug at WWT London Wetland Centre
Jungle Nymph - Jonathan Cleverly Meet exotic rainforest minibeasts such as giant millipedes, phasmids and whip spiders up close at WWT London Wetland Centre. On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October the Centre’s Rainfor
5 October 2012
Three is the magic number for birthday boys Rod and Musa!
It was party time at WWT Washington Wetland Centre as Asian short-clawed otters Rod and Musa celebrated their third birthday. Fishy treats for the birthday boys The cheeky pair marked their special day by devouring h
5 October 2012
Todays Sightings
Wader Lake/am/Mid-Low Tide Black Headed Gull - 110 Coot - 1 Moorhen - 2 Heron - 2 Lapwing - 56 Shoveler - 4 Mallard - 5 Teal - 58 Curlew - 1 Redshank - 35 Common Snipe - 4 Other Birds Pink Footed Goose - Flew over site - 80 Kestrel - Wader Lake - 1 Wigeon
5 October 2012
Recent Sightings
Sightings from the 30th September have included: The Brent are starting to disperse with 23,000 on the Lough. Outside the Brent Hide – 22 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Eiders and Wigeon, amongst the thousands of Brent waiting to feed. Insects – Tortoisesh
4 October 2012
Skylarks
Big movement of passerines this morning. Difficult to assess numbers passing south but a conservative estimate of 500+ Skylark is probably understated. Other species were involved including Meadow Pipits, Wagtails, Jays and at least one Great Spotted Wood
4 October 2012
New American waders?
Holden Tower A Pectoral Sandpiper flew in high from the NE (Tack Piece) and dissapeared on the saltmarsh. About ten minutes later two waders flew to one of the pools on the Dumbles and joined the Lapwing. It turned out to be the Pectoral and a Buff-breast
4 October 2012
Todays Sightings
Wader Lake Time/AM Tide/Low Coot - 1 Moorhen - 2 Redshank - 48 Teal - 30 Mallard - 10 Lapwing - 20 to 30 Widgeon - 1 Common Snipe - 2 Hawthorn Wood Nuthatch - 1 Coal Tit - 1 Great Tit - 10 Blue Tit - 4 Bullfinch - 1 Robin - 1
4 October 2012
Wildlife sightings for 4th October 2012
96 Shoveler - site count 2 Pintail - scrape 3 Snipe - flew into marsh from SW 1 Redpoll - SW 5 Siskin - W/NW + wildside 16 Chiffchaff - wildside mainly + sheltered lagoon, south route 1 Willow Warbler - wildside Recent bird highlights: Peregrine, B
4 October 2012
Study finds that spent lead gunshot continues to harm and kill British birds despite restrictions
Poisoning affected one-third of waterbirds sampled and killed one in ten of those found dead X-ray of a gizzard containing lead shot. Post-mortem results of thousands of UK waterbirds reveal that poisoning from spent
4 October 2012
Getting the wind up
Windy today, a bit too windy really, making observations difficult and keeping many of the birds well tucked in. One Lapwing that should have kept it's head down was caught by a Peregrine (ad+ juv today again) over the Mere mid afternoon. Star bird of the
3 October 2012
Fungal Foray - Part Two
Guest blog by WWT London Wetland Centre Chief Ecologist Richard Bullock Pleated Inkcap at WWT London Wetland Centre - Richard Bullock So what of the fungi to be found at the London Wetland Centre? September and Octobe
3 October 2012
Today's sightings
The Zeiss Hide RED-NECKED PHALAROPE 1 Juvenile Little-ringed Plover 1 Ruff 2 Spotted Redshank 1 Redshank 22 Snipe 8 Teal 1800 The South Lake LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 1 Black-tailed Godwit 296 Ruff 2 Redshank 20 Greenshank 1 Lapwing 200 Teal 250 Shoveler 50 G
3 October 2012
3rd of October Sightings
Weather: Grey cloud with light drizzle Wader Lake Am - Tide Level: Mid to Low Teal - 32 Mallard - 20 Moorhen - 2 Coot - 7 Grey Heron - 1 Black-Headed Gull - 120 Hawthorn Hide Great Tit - 12 Coal Tit - 4 Blue Tit - 10 Nuthatch - 1 Bullfinch - 8
3 October 2012