A Long-Eared Owl and high Teal numbers

The week started with 475 Teal on the Folly pond, before we were then treated to several close encounters with a Long-Eared Owl.

This week started with our folly pond almost obscured by teal, numbering 475. We have got used to seeing about 80 on our reserve ponds recently, and so this was another big increase. One of our volunteers has also had two close encounters on different days with a long-eared owl along the drive to saltcot hide. We're keeping our eyes peeled, and are hoping that it continues to delight us with its piercing orange eyes and comical tufts. The week has also seen more regular lapwing sightings, a large salon of 67 curlews, and some solo waders have popped in for a feed too, namely a black-tailed godwit and a common greenshank.

Photo credit: Alex Hillier

As well as this week's highlights, you are likely to see the following on the reserve:

BirdsMammalsButterfliesDamselflies & Dragonflies
Mute SwanHareCommon BlueLarge Red
Greylag geeseRoe DeerRed AdmiralBlue-tailed
Canada GeeseWeaselMeadow BrownAzure
ShelduckStoatRingletCommon Blue
MallardFoxGreen-veined WhiteFour-spotted Chaser
GadwallLarge WhiteBanded Demoiselle
ShovelerSmall CopperCommon Darter
TealLarge Skipper
PheasantSmall Tortoiseshell
Cormorant
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Buzzard
Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Common Sandpiper
Redshank
Black-tailed Godwit
Curlew
Snipe
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black Backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Skylark
Sand Martin
House Martin
Barn Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Blackcap
Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Wren
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Treecreeper
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Reed Bunting
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