Good numbers of Water Rail on this mornings survey
14 Water Rail - site count
2 Bittern - main lake North shore
1 Goldeneye - reservoir lagoon
3 Shelduck - main lake
2 Peregrine - perched on the hospital
2 Pintail - main lake
6 Snipe - wader scrape, grazing marsh
1 Jack Snipe - wader scrape
14 Mandarin - wildside
November bird highlights: Short-eared Owl, Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bittern, Great White Egret, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Little Owl, Merlin, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, Stonechat, Brambling, Water Pipit, Skylark.
Bitterns (up to 2 birds so far) can be found mostly on the main lake shores, particularly the north shore. The flooded wader scrape and marsh have plenty of feeding winter duck including Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal, as well as Jack Snipe, Snipe and Water Pipit. Also on the main lake there’s been occasional Yellow-legged Gull, hunting Peregrine, Water Rail, Snipe and Lapwing. Gadwall and Goldeneye can be found on the reservoir lagoon. Listen out for possible Bearded Tit in the reedbed; this species often appears during November/December. Alder and Birch trees across the reserve hold some mixed flocks of Goldfinch, Siskin and a few Redpoll.
