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Junior Wetland Warden Log 3
Guest blog by WWT London Wetland Centre Learning Officer Paul Lawston Children digging holes for pitfall traps Rain may be unwelcome to many but for our Wetland Wardens it proved quite handy this week! After making ou
Help us to show demand for a bus service
On Saturday 15 September, there will be a free classic bus running between Burscough Bridge Interchange, Martin Mere, Windmill Animal farm, Homestead Farm, Mere Sands Wood and Burscough Wharf. Each attraction is offering a special offer for bus passenge
Wildlife sightings for 3rd September 2012
1 Wigeon - resr lagoon 2 Green Sandpiper - scrape, main lake 9 Snipe - main lake, marsh, scrape 1 Black-tailed Godwit - flew over reedbed from the N on to the main lake 2 Common Sandpiper - main lake 17 Swallow - flew W, some feeding en route 6 Meado
Todays Sightings
Wader lake/am/Mid tide Black Tailed Godwit - 1 Common Sandpiper - 1 Redshank - 28 Lapwing - 162 Teal - 10 Tufted Duck - 4 Mallard - 48 Black Headed Gull - 10 Curlew - 1 Saline lagoon Black Headed Gull - 46 Mallard - 3 Grey Heron - 1 Other Birds Cormorant
Birdwatch morning-Wader Walk and sightings
Wader walk took in the hides so more to follow on sightings, on the estuary/Dumbles edge at high tide the following species were noted. Manx Shearwater-one at the north end of estuary basin being harried by a gull. Swift 16 south Sand Martin 10 Swallow 1
Garganey (about time..)
Garganey in eclipsed plumage showing well on the Mere 15:30 at least. It, or perhaps another, was seen earlier on from the Ron Barker Hide. The Teal numbers have risen considerably in the past week to over 1000 so this sighting was not unexpected. Twelve
Wildlife sightings for 2nd September 2012
1 Garganey - main lake 61 Gadwall - site count 4 Wigeon - on river p.m. 56 Shoveler - main lake, scrape 1 Green Sandpiper - scrape 6 Snipe - main lake, mar 2 Peregrine 1 Stonechat - marsh 3 Whinchat - marsh 1 Lesser Whitethroat 1 Spotted Flycatcher
Basking common darter
While trying to get a photo of the elusive black darter yesterday morning, our reserve warden John got this nice shot of a common darter. It was basking on the boardwalk down at the amphibian ponds, which John and his team of volunteers have been working
Northern Wheatear
More signs of autumn passage with a male Northern Wheatear from the Ron Barker Hide this morning. Common Swift moving south. Raptors providing most of the entertainment with 2+ Marsh Harrier, 6 Common Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Wader
Today's sightings
The South Lake Wood Sandpiper 1 First winter LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 1 Adult winter Black-tailed Godwit 264 Redshank 76 Spotted Redshank 1 Adult winter Lapwing 120 Shoveler 70 The Holden Tower Little Stint 1 Dunlin 170 Ringed Plover 85 Red Knot 1 Whimbre
Out on the reserve today
1 spoonbill (main observatory) 2 wood sandpiper (main observatory) 30 little egrets
Wildlife sightings for 1st September 2012
2 Wigeon - main lake 2 Green Sandpiper - wader scrape 1 Common Sandpiper - main lake 7 Snipe - flushed off marsh by Harrier 1 Hobby - over site 1 Marsh Harrier - Juvenile flew in @ 9.00am landed in willow tree then flew off N @ 9.35am 5 Willow Warbler - s
Out on the reserve today
Buzzard - 1 Hobby - 1 Common sandpiper - 2 Yellow wagtail on Bank farm pool near visitor centre
Today's wildlife highlights (including a dragonfly site first)
Wader Lake (AM, low tide) 1 greenshank 2 common sandpiper 14 redshank 90 lapwing 2 common snipe 15 teal 6 gadwall 7 tufted duck (plus 3 ducklings) Plus, at the amphibian ponds, an emerald damselfy and a black darter dragonfly - the latter we believe to be
Wildlife sightings for 31st August 2012
72 Shoveler - main lake, wader scrape, reservoir lagoon 1 Green Sandpiper - wader scrape 1 Common Sandpiper - main lake 2 Snipe - main lake 1 Kingfisher - wader scrape Recent bird highlights: Garganey, Peregrine, Hobby, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover