Latest sightings
Latest Highlights
Compilation of the last two day's sightings. Up to 3 Kingfisher showing each day from the Ron Barker Hide. Nice selection of waders around with up to 9 Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 150+ Lapwing, 30+ Avocet, 4 Oystercatcher, Ringed Plo
8 July 2016
Kingfishers
July can be a quiet month if you just concentrate on 'rare birds', however there is plenty to see around the reserve with 60+ species of bird possible and as we go into summer plenty of dragon/damselfly and butterflies on the wing. Waders are also on the
6 July 2016
Bird News
A few signs that autumn is in the air, the Lapwing flock is getting larger by the day, now around 150 birds, also joined by 90+ Black-tailed Godwits on the Mere today. The elusive Green Sandpipers are still around and can be a challenge to find, try looki
5 July 2016
Bird News
The Cuckoo's are still being seen, with the last sighting from Ron Barker yesterday, also 1 along Curlew Lane yesterday evening. Little Egrets are still being seen with up to 4 being reported today. The Great Crested Grebes are still on view from Harrier
2 July 2016
Bird news
On Wednesday a Yellow Wagtail was in the gravel car park at 5.30pm, also Little Egret still on the reserve with 7 Grey Heron from Harrier Hide. Still 2 Green Sandpiper moving around the reserve, favouring either Ron Barker area or Harrier hide. Signs of w
30 June 2016
Green Sandpipers
Traditional birding wisdom suggest autumn arrives with the returning waders so it's great to see a couple of Green Sandpiper on the reserve! The birds were originally found below the Kingfisher Hide yesterday and were seen today in flight only over Doehyl
28 June 2016
Water Rail and other birds
A great selection of birds to be seen around the reserve. Certainly possible to top 70 species in a days birding in the locality. Starting with some views of a Water Rail chick which narrowly avoided being eaten by Lesser Black-backed Gulls as it came out
26 June 2016
Bird News
The young Great Crested Grebes can currently be seen being fed on the adults back from the Harrier Hide, also Little Grebes from here. A Little Egret is still being seen occasionally from anywhere around the reserve, seen in flight flying towards Harrier
24 June 2016
Sightings Highlight
More summer fare as the nights start drawing in... Mostly about the breeding birds which currently are looking quite successful this year on the whole. The Great-crested Grebes have three chicks and are viewable from the Harrier Hide. The Harrier Hide is
22 June 2016
First Great-crested Grebe chicks.
Yesterday's rain continued into the morning eventually giving way to sunshine and a brisk westerly. Today highlights are dominated by the news of the first of the Great-crested Grebes eggs to hatch. This is the first time these birds have bred on the rese
20 June 2016
Wood Sandpipers
Starting off calm and overcast ending with rain and light southerlies. Two Wood Sandpiper that dropped onto Woodend Marsh mid morning were new for the year, and still present late afternoon being chased around by Avocet. Other waders included 2 male Ruff
19 June 2016
White-winged Black Tern
The undoubted highlight today was the appearance of a White-winged Black Tern (3rd cal year/2nd sum) which graced the Mere most of the morning before relocating to Ron Barker area and then back and forth between the two for the rest of the day.
18 June 2016
Bird News
Once again, a great variety of birds on view today. The Cuckoos which have been showing regulary from the Ron Barker hide for some time now, are drawing the most attention - it's a bird which has become pretty rare for many of us in recent years, and the
17 June 2016
Drake Garganey in Teal influx
A pleasant day not too hot or cold finishing off with a thunder storm late on. More signs of post breeding as ~ 50 Teal are counted on the reserve this morning. In among them on Sunley's Marsh a drake Garganey starting to moult. A good selection of wildfo
16 June 2016
Spotted Redshank
Highlight today was the brief appearance of a summer plumaged Spotted Redshank that was heard flying in and landing in front of Harrier Hide late afternoon during a big period of rain, however it had gone only 20 mins later. The Cuckoos were seen again fr
15 June 2016