News
Redshank arrives.
More signs of spring as a single Redshank turned up on the Mere this morning. Redshank breed on the reserve and as more birds come in it's a great chance to brush up on your wader id skills while good numbers of Ruff (c80 today) are still present. Other w
Today's sightings-Mealy Redpoll
Female Mealy Redpoll (Common Redpoll) in the grounds Copyright JSLees The Grounds MEALY REDPOLL or COMMON REDPOLL 1 Female showing well feeding in Alders between the Asian and Tundra Pens, And sitting up in the nearby willow. It is feeding with the fi
Wildlife sightings for 8th March 2013
2 Pintail - wader scrape 184+ Teal - site count 3 Mandarin - main lake 1 Redshank - main lake 1 Oystercatcher - main lake 8 Snipe - main lake, grazing marsh, wader scrape Recent bird highlights: Bittern, Peregrine, Shelduck, Redshank, Skylark, Bearded Tit
Latest Sightings
Whooper Pond Whooper Swan 140 Mute Swan 44 Wigeon 83 Tufted Duck 48 Canada Goose 2 Greylag Goose 1 Shoveler 3 Oystercatcher 2 Teal 2 Folly Pond Teal 40 Shoveler 21 Wigeon 20 Redshank 10 Black-tailed Godwit 8 Oystercatcher 2 Black-headed Gull 2 Shelduck 2
Essential tree works taking place
We have essential tree surgery taking place on site from Monday 11 March for a few days. This will involve the removal of some dangerous trees and the pollarding or coppicing of others. We will try to keep disruption to an absolute minimum but apologise f
Hatch of the week: Black-necked swan
Each week we will start to feature a 'Hatch of the Week'. This week I am pleased to say that one black-necked swan cygnet hatched two days ago. They were sitting on three eggs, but only one has hatched and the cygnet can be seen riding around on mum's bac
Bewick's Swan again.
A Bewick's Swan was seen again on the Mere with Whooper Swans around midday. A breeding plumage Med Gull was again on the Mere with Black-headed Gulls. Now 51 Avocet mostly around the Mere but also from the Ron Barker Hide. Other waders included Dunlin, C
A 'wood'-erful new welcome for our visitors
Doesn’t the new dead-hedge fence winding down our entrance path look brilliant!? It’s the work of our reserve warden John and his very dedicated volunteers, who have spent a great deal of time and effort on it. As well as creating a rather magical-loo
Recent Sightings
Sightings from the 3rd March have included: Main Lake – 1 Mute Swan, 1 Cormorant, 12 Shelducks and 1 Pintail Wader Marsh – 22 Redshank, 3 Bar Tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 22 Tufted Ducks and 16 Black Tailed Godwits. A Goldeneye dropped in to the Sal
Today's wildlife sightings - featuring wonderful waxwing!
Wader Lake (AM, mid tide) Grey heron - 22 Redshank - 107 Lapwing - 8 (with 3 holding territory) Curlew - 2 Gadwall - 6 Teal - 14 Tufted duck - 9 Shelduck - 21 Plus 22 shelduck on the saline lagoon. Hawthorn Wood feeding station Coal tit - 8 Blue ti
Wildlife sightings for 7th March 2013
2 Shelduck - scrape 2 Pintail - scrape 1 Redshank - scrape 140 Teal - scrape, marsh 5 Cetti's Warbler - (all singing) - south route, main lake, reedbed, resr lagoon Recent bird highlights: Bittern, Peregrine, Shelduck, Redshank, Skylark, Bearded Tit, Sto
Swans late leaving Slimbridge
Swans flying over Slimbridge (C. Butters) No sooner had the swans departed, they had returned! After groups were heard noisily flying away from Slimbridge on Thursday night and fewer birds were found in the area the f
Latest Sightings
Whooper Pond Whooper Swan 140 Mute Swan 40 Wigeon 110 Tufted Duck 35 Canada Goose 2 Greylag Goose 1 Shoveler 2 Oystercatcher 2 Folly Pond Teal 40 Shoveler 12 Wigeon 20 Redshank 4 Black-tailed Godwit 2 Oystercatcher 2 Black-headed Gull 2 Shelduck 2 Snipe 4
Today's sightings
Visibility is awful this morning with a heavy mist which makes observations rather difficult. Some images from earlier in the week when it was sunny! Crane-Martin Smith Hide-5th March, MJMcGill Tundra Bean Goose with E. White-fronted Geese-4 March. MJMc
Roosting Tawny Owl
It's that time of year, just before the trees start sprouting, that Tawny Owls can occasionally be found roosting around the reserve. Today two birds have been seen, one still viewable between the Gladstone and Janet Kear Hides inside the grounds viewable