News
Weekend sightings
23.2.13 Hen harrier - 1 female Lady fen Golden plover - 30 Little egret - 2 Buzzard - 1 Barn owl - 1 24.2.13 Redshank - 5 Dunlin - 8 Snipe - 3 Ferruginous duck - 1
25 February 2013
Today's sightings
Tack Piece Wigeon 400 American Wigeon x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid 1 Pintail 90 Crane 4 Zeiss Hide Bittern 1-showing very close to hide at 0930 Black-tailed Godwit 5 Buzzard 2 Rushy Bewick's Swan 250+ Pintail 120 Pochard 180
25 February 2013
An update on our baby otters
It’s been 7 months now, and the otter cubs have grown up fast, so it’s time for an update on how they’re doing and where they’re up to developmentally. Obviously, they are all eating solids now, and only solids, they will have been weaned by t
25 February 2013
Wildlife sightings for 25th February 2013
56 Wigeon - E end reservoir lagoon 42 Lapwing - main lake 140 Cormorant - main lake Additional sighting from yesterday: 2 Bittern - 1 W end reservoir lagoon, 1 by Headley hide (Peacock Tower closed today due to high winds affecting the roof
25 February 2013
Today's sightings
Friend's hide Common scoter - 1 Goldeneye - 6
25 February 2013
Siskins on the move
A good count of ~ 20 Siskin on Alder by the Janet Kear Hide. It's a good time of year to catch up with these smart small finches as they move from wintering to breeding grounds. Many of the birds we see will have come from continental europe. Brambling st
24 February 2013
Bean and gone
Whilst checking the hides this morning two grey lag geese flew in to join the other 19. At a second glance the two new arrivals turned out to be Bean geese. This was a first for myself and likely for the reserve as well. 6 Snipe flushed up out of the reed
24 February 2013
Today's sightings
Sightings report to dusk Holden Tower E White-fronted Goose 217 Tundra Bean Goose 3 Crane 4 (Great Crane Project) Light gull movements upriver. Zeiss Hide Bittern 1 showing well at 0930-1000 at least Teal 70 Redshank 4 Tack Piece Wigeon 600 American Wig
24 February 2013
Wildlife sightings for 24th February 2013
1 Shelduck - wader scrape 8 Mandarin - world wetlands 214 Cormorant - main lake A pair of Great Crested Grebes have begun displaying to each other on the sheltered lagoon (Peacock Tower closed today due to high winds affecting the roof tiles. All o
24 February 2013
Barn Owl
A Barn Owl was out hunting again late afternoon from Ron Barker Hide, the 3 Peregrines were on view most of the day but no sign of the Hen Harrier or Merlin, but the usual Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk were all seen. 2 Raven were on view during
23 February 2013
Todays Sightings
Rushy Bewicks Swan 225 overnight, no big mevements yet. Pintail 120 Redshank 1 Oystercatcher 1 Martin Smith Hide Snipe just the one showing closely this morning. Wigeon 300 Buzzard 1 on the fence. Holden Tower Whitefronted Goose 193 (small groups flying o
23 February 2013
Wildlife sightings for 23rd February 2013
4 Bittern - 2 in front of Headley hide, 1 N shore reservoir lagoon, 1 in channel nearest wildside hide 6 Pintail (5m 1f) 51 Wigeon - wader scrape, grazing marsh 157 Cormorant - main lake (Peacock Tower closed today due to high winds affecting the roof til
23 February 2013
Hen Harrier
A male Hen Harrier was again reported from Ron Barker Hide along with a Merlin. Good numbers of waders at the moment included a count of 103 Ruff, 4 Black tailed Godwit, 35 Oystercatcher and 22 Avocet. There are also several Ringed Plover around the site
22 February 2013
First signs of spring migration!
Spring migration has officially started with groups of Bewick’s seen making their way across the Netherlands! Ornithologist Martin Jansen sent this news from Holland: ‘Yesterday morning and also this morning I have seen many Bewick’s flying north-ea
22 February 2013
I just got to thinking...
BAP my hyper angry girl! I have read that incubation temperature regulation has often been tentatively linked to determining sex in some waterfowl species. I cannot deny that in 2012 we hatched a clutch of 8 female
22 February 2013