Wildlife sightings for 8th February 2015
WeBS count highlights:
50 Shoveler - site count
155 Tufted Duck - site count
3 Pintail - main lake
23 Mandarin - world wetlands, wildside, sheltered lagoon
2 Bittern - main lake
3 Snipe - marsh, main lake
7 Common Gull - main lake
118 Black-headed Gull - main lake, scrape
Also: 1 Pheasant - north east corner
2 Stonechat - marsh
1 Peregrine - perched on hospital
1 Red Admiral - staff car park
Flowering Winter Aconite in the log garden
Flowering Marsh Marigold near Dulverton hide
January bird highlights: Shelduck, Bittern, Little Egret, Goosander, Peregrine, Pheasant, Woodcock, Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull, Kingfisher, Stonechat.
Good numbers of wintering wildfowl are settling in for the winter ahead, many of which have migrated from as far east as Siberia to get here. The flooded grazing marsh in particular is attracting plenty of Teal that move back and forth from the river in line with the daily tides. Gadwall, grazing Wigeon and Shoveler also favour this habitat at this time of year, feeding on lots of seed leftover from the summer growth of Rushes, Bur-reeds, Loosestrifes, Fleabanes, Docks and grasses. Jack Snipe and Snipe will be probing the soft muddy edges for invertebrate food. The marsh also holds Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Water Rail, Reed Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler and occasional Water Pipit and Bearded Tit.
