News
Latest sightings
Another great day for waders at Martin Mere. Most days this week we've seen upto 10 species on wader on site. Todays highlights include Ron Barker Wood sandpiperGlossy Ibis (showing well on Sunleys (right pool) in the flooded grassy edges)HobbyHummingbir
22 June 2023
Latest Sightings
We've had some great waders on the reserve over the past few days! 3 spotted redshanks turned up on Vinson's marsh last Thursday evening and now seem to be spread across the mere, Vinson's and Woodend marsh. A wood sandpiper was showing well on Woodend ma
19 June 2023
Latest Sightings
The common tern eggs have started hatching! We have twenty pairs nesting on the mere, each with 2-4 eggs so there should be plenty in the coming weeks. You can watch the adults flying past Ron Barker, fishing along the waterways and carrying back smaller
13 June 2023
Latest Sightings
There has been a black tern roosting on the mere this week. Black terns are most commonly seen when easterly winds blow them off course on their migration from Africa to continental breeding grounds. Black terns used to be abundant breeders in the UK unti
5 June 2023
Latest Sightings
The quail have continued to be very vocal out in the fields throughout the day with 2 being heard regularly. They are calling from a field called twigbit which is about 600m from the Tomlinson hide which is the best place to hear them.The bee orchids are
29 May 2023
Latest Sightings
2 Temminck's Stints now feeding on woodend marsh. From the 22nd May we've had 1 but today a second has turned up the best views are either from the Rees hide or the Tomlinson hide. We have at least 1 Quail calling on the reserve and can be heard when you
25 May 2023
latest sightings
Plenty of excitement following the black-winged stilt last week, although it only stayed for the day we didn't have to wait long for another rarity. News broke yesterday of a great reed warbler in the small reed bed in front of united utilities hide. Alth
22 May 2023
Black-winged stilt
The best bird of today was a Black-winged Stilt seen from the Ron Barker it flew at 1pm towards woodend marsh and has been refound at the back of the Mere at 14:50. The photo here was taken by John Napier tday at the Ron Barker hide. Looking back through
15 May 2023
Latest Sightings
Breeding season is well underway, with more and more eggs and chicks cropping up every day. We surveyed the mere for black headed gull nests today: there was a total of 591 nests and 1140 eggs! The islands were also crawling with chicks, some just hatched
11 May 2023
Latest Sightings
Plenty of activity on the reserve currently with new arrivals and lots of activity from breeding birds. The mere is constantly busy with black-headed gulls that are sitting on nests and in amongst them there is often the odd Mediterranean gull or two. One
4 May 2023
Latest Sightings
The reed bed is now alive with warblers. The first grasshopper warbler was heard yesterday and the sedge and reed warblers are growing in numbers. A whitethroat was seen near Gordon Taylor hide yesterday. Blackcaps have been heard along the nature trail.T
27 April 2023
Latest Sightings
Our first yellow wagtail of the year was found on the reserve on the 16th along with our first garganeys of the year, a male and female were present throughout the day, on the mere in the morning and seen later in the day from Ron Barker. 10 wheatears wer
18 April 2023
Latest Sightings
Spring migrants keep on coming with our first House martin of the year on the 12th, and first reed warbler was singing in the reedbed this morning. We've been having a good passage of wheatears over the past few days with 7 behind Woodend marsh on the 12t
14 April 2023
Sightings
Spring is on its way! And it’s bringing the warblers and the waders with it.The warblers have made their way back from as far south as southern Africa. We’ve had sedge and willow warblers joining the cetti’s warbler on the reedbed. Chiffchaffs have
7 April 2023
Latest Sightings
As spring migration progresses are swans and geese are heading off to their breeding grounds. 6 whooper swans were all that was on the mere during our count this morning, along with just 300 pink-footed geese on Vinson's and Sunley's. However, spring migr
5 April 2023