Latest sightings
Sightings Highlights
Loads of activity around the reserve at the moment mostly centered on breeding birds. A great count of 34 Avocet chick today out on Woodend Marsh. How many of these will get to fledge is another question? Last year barely a handful escaped predation from
25 May 2016
Great-crested Good News!
Amazed to come in this morning to see our pair of Great-crested Grebe which originally turned up on the 7th April have built a nest! This is the first time this has occurred at Martin Mere. Will they be successful? Watch this space or better still spe
23 May 2016
Cuckoo
A fresh breeze with a couple of showers around midday before sunshine set in. Highlights for today; 3 1st summer (2cy) Little Gull, perhaps the same birds seen earlier in the week. At least 2 adult Mediterranean Gull hanging around the Mere. A Cuckoo seen
22 May 2016
Bird News
The showery weather today didn't produce anything much but there's always tomorrow! Still plenty of species to see on site with Med Gulls regular on the Mere, Little ringed Plovers looking set to nest again around the Mere. At least 2 Raven over the reser
21 May 2016
Gulls
At least 3 Mediterranean Gull were showing well on the Mere including one near adult bird displaying to Black-headed Gulls. An adult Black-headed Gull nesting on the Mere at the moment sporting a yellow ring was ringed in Essex in January this year. At le
20 May 2016
Bird News
A quiet day, with few people birding and very few reports being received from around the reserve. Star of the day was Cuckoo was singing near the Ron Barker hide this morning - with each passing year this evocative sounds is heard less and less, and it's
19 May 2016
Sightings Highlights
Early rain showers promised much but no reports of any species not present in recent days. The Little Stint continues to hang out on Woodend Marsh, today with up to 10 Dunlin some of which were obviously new arrivals. Little Ringed Plovers can show well f
18 May 2016
Spoonbill
A Spoonbill was new for the year but only very briefly present on Woodend Marsh late morning. It was probably the same bird which was later seen at Marshside. Spoonbill in rather smart breeding attire (back of the camera s
17 May 2016
Little Stint again
Chilly today with more cloud cover than predicted. Yesterday's Little Stint is still present out on Woodend Marsh keeping company with some newly arrived tundra Ringed Plover (10+) and 7 Dunlin. Little Stint one of the wor
16 May 2016
Little Stint
Brief update. A fuller summary tomorrow. Carrying on a fine run of waders Little Stint is the 16th species this month. The bird spent the day out on Woodend Marsh. Greenshank again early on, 2 Dunlin, 4 Little Ringed Plover.
15 May 2016
Sightings Highlights
A bright day but a change in temperature as the Northerly airflow bring cool air over the UK. Interesting to note today good numbers of Swift feeding over the reserve in the afternoon. Still 2 Knot present now for their 6th day(!) moulting into breeding p
14 May 2016
Bird News
A fairly quiet day today, with few reports from around the reserve. At least 10 species of wader present with the 2 Knot on Woodend Marsh (from the United Utilities hide) for their fourth day - a remarkably long stay for this coastal species which, on the
13 May 2016
Still no Black Terns !!
Still no Black Terns (see yesterday's post), but they are getting closer, with one only a couple of miles away at Mere Sands today! On the reserve, still 2 Knot from the United Utilities hide along with a single Dunlin and at least 2 Common Terns. Also 2
12 May 2016
No Black Terns....
It's May and another day with easterly winds and rain showers and still no Black Terns! This isn't really a complaint as the reserve is packed full of breeding species as well as the current crop of migrating waders, the later making a count of 14 species
11 May 2016
All about waders
Thirteen species of wader seen today as a result of the rain produced by the predicted weather front. This front is looking like it will be stationary for a couple of days so more birds may drop in! Two new species for the year with two Knot on Woodend Ma
10 May 2016