It’s been a quieter weekend on the reserve with all of the stormy weather, although some dedicated birders did manage to visit the site across Friday and Saturday. Despite the weather, there were still some exciting wildlife sightings: on Saturday evening, an otter was sighted swimming across the Mere to the delight of our visitors, although the birds were a bit more unsure.
Also on the Mere, the Ring-necked Duck is still showing well, often seen amongst the other diving ducks and feeding on the bank in front of Discovery Hide. Lots of other ducks, including Shelduck, Pintail, Wigeon, Pochard, Teal, and Shoveler, and our Whooper swans have been enjoyed by visitors, and you can also get a good view of them from Discovery hide when we do our daily feeds. Several species of birds of prey have also been sighted, including one Kestrel, one Buzzard, one Sparrowhawk, and two Marsh Harriers. Other highlights include one Little Egret, one Grey Wagtail, and a whopping 17 Cormorants.
At Janet Kear, one Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen taking advantage of our bird feeders. In the Reedbed, which can be viewed well from Harrier Hide, one Water Rail and two Grey Wagtails were also spotted.
Picture of a Sparrowhawk.
