We’ve had another exciting few days of autumn migration at Martin Mere, with Pink-footed Geese continuing to make their way south from Iceland. With more northerly winds expected tonight and tomorrow night, we could be in for another wave of breathtaking formations passing overhead, so keep your eyes and ears to the skies!
There have been plenty of highlights across the Mere, including a Great White Egret, 11 Cattle Egrets, two Yellow Wagtails and around 30 Sand Martins. Among the waders, 10 Snipe, 89 Lapwings and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover were recorded, while two Marsh Harriers and four Buzzards were seen hunting across the surrounding fields.
Harrier Hide has been busy with a good selection of wetland birds, including 36 Shovelers, 26 Gadwall, three Pintails and nine Little Grebes, including three juveniles. Over at Ron Barker Hide, an impressive 50 Cattle Egrets were feeding alongside our English Longhorns, while a Hobby, male Kingfisher, Barn Owl and four Marsh Harriers provided some fantastic predator sightings.
The reedbed and paths have also been worth exploring, with Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Buntings, Water Rail, House Martins and Swallows all recorded. Around the back of the reserve behind Tomlinson Hide, approximately 150 Goldfinches were seen alongside a Stonechat and several Chaffinches, while two Barn Owls and two Roe Deer provided some lovely sightings to round things off.
This morning we conducted our WeBS count – a national BTO survey (Wetland Bird Survey) which is carried out across all wetland sites once a month and the data is used to inform population trends. The figures for this count are below:
Wigeon 2
Gadwall 44
Teal 128
Mallard 1493
Shoveler 45
Tufted Duck 9
Mute Swan 2
Whooper Swan 5
Greylag Goose 3
Canada Goose 48
Pink-footed goose 295
Barnacle goose 1
Moorhen 164
Coot 85
Snipe 11
Lapwing 215
Ruff 3
Green Sandpiper 1
Greenshank 2
Little grebe 8
Cormorant 6
Grey Heron 8
Little Egret 1
Cattle Egret 62
Black-headed gull 8
Kingfisher 1
Yellow Wagtail 25
Marsh Harrier 3
Sand Martin 30
Photograph of a Hobby.
Goosefest
Tens of thousands of Pink-footed Geese will soon arrive from Iceland, with a line-up of exciting experiences from 5 September to 18 October. Get involved in workshops and unique close-up encounters. Find out more.
