Latest sightings
Tick & twitch
So far on our New Year's bird list we have: Barn owl - 1 Marsh harrier - 1 Whooper swan Mute swan Mallard Wigeon Teal Pochard Tufted duck Shoveler Canada goose Greylag goose Moorhen Coot Curlew Golden plover Lapwing Wren Great tit Chaffinch Pied wagtail
1 January 2014
Out on the reserve today
A huge flock of over 1000 lapwing and golden plover have been using the pools of water on Lady Fen and the ploughed field next to it this morning. This bodes well for bird of prey activity. Over 400 swans have started to use these pools to roost on at n
31 December 2013
Water levels
The main hide is now the only hide accessible on the reserve, swan feeds are carrying on as normal but you cannot get access to any further hides. The A1101 between Welney village and Suspension Bridge is also now closed so if you are travelling from th
28 December 2013
Water levels
Water levels have risen over the last week and we have today had to close the Reedbed hide. All other hides remain open, with wellies advised along the footpaths. The main lagoon has been brilliant for birds over the last couple of days, with over 200
27 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Buzzard - 1 Curlew - 14 (on land next to the visitor centre) Good numbers of lapwing, golden plover and black-tailed godwit are still present on the shallow flooded washes towards the opposite side of the reserve to the hides. Good numbers of pochard on
22 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Buzzard - 2 Marsh harrier - 2 Sparrowhawk - 2 Green woodpecker - visitor centre
21 December 2013
Ouse washes are looking fantastic
Water levels on the reserve are brilliant at the moment encouraging flocks of waders and ducks to use the wet grassland and splashes of water. The flight in of Bewick's swans as the light fades on the reserve is not to be missed from Reedbed hide. We
17 December 2013
Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS)
Wigeon - 4175 Mallard - 1362 Teal - 1253 Pochard - 106 Pintail - 46 Shoveler - 43 Gadwall - 37 Tufted duck - 11 Lapwing - 4015 Black-tailed godwit - 1400 Golden plover - 905 Curlew - 12 Dunlin - 6 Ruff - 6 Snipe - 2 Redshank - 2 Peregrine - 2 Marsh harrie
16 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Peregrine - 2 Also, look out for GREAT WHITE EGRETS today there have been up to 3 seen in the local area.
16 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Peregrine - 1 Sparrowhawk - 2 Marsh harrier Kestrel - 2 Barn owl - 1 Dunlin Curlew Golden plover Black-tailed godwit
12 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Red kite - 1 flew over the centre and main hide Brambling - 2 under the bird feeding station
9 December 2013
Dawn swan count
Whooper swan - 5755 Bewick's swan - 950 These numbers are the populations on the whole of the Ouse washes.
9 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Please refer to the Wetland Bird Survey entry (25 Nov) for the thousands of wintering wildfowl and waders which are on site on a daily basis. In addition to these we have had reports of Kingfisher, Common sandpiper and Redshank as water levels continue to
3 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Goosander - 1 (male)
2 December 2013
Out on the reserve today
Water rail - 1 (pond behind the visitor centre was showing well all day)
30 November 2013