News
Latest Sightings
Whooper swans are slowly leaving us, with our weekly counts dropping each time. This week we had 114 whoopers roost with us, but the mere definitely feels quite empty during the day without them! Our count for pink-footed geese this week was similar to la
31 March 2023
Latest Sightings
The seasons are changing and spring migration is beginning to get underway, the mere definitely feels quieter with the reduced numbers of swans and ducks. Waders however, are increasing on the mere with 49 avocets on the 22nd and 77 black-tailed godwits o
24 March 2023
Latest Sightings
It’s been an exciting weekend on the mere. Two of the four great crested grebes that usually breed here turned up at Harrier Hide on Sunday. They were looking resplendent with their mating crests and performing their brilliant mating dance. The calls
20 March 2023
Latest Sightings
The sounds of lapwing, skylark and reed bunting song can be heard from the footpath Gordon Taylor. Chiffchaff and chaffinches have also started gearing up for breeding season, the latter’s song being heard on the footpaths throughout the reserve, though
16 March 2023
Latest Sightings
The yellow browed warbler and siberian chiff chaffs have been seen at the sewage farm again. We did our Wetland Bird Survey today, here are the results: Wigeon 347 Gadwall 24 Teal 442 Mallard 804 Pintail 388 Shoveler 18 Pochard 15 Tufted duck 14 Shelduc
13 March 2023
Latest Sightings
More and more waders are turning up on the reserve with 36 black-tailed godwits on the mere on Saturday. Oystercatcher numbers are rising with 99 birds at our highest count, spending much of their time on the back of the mere along with between 10 and
6 March 2023
Latest Sightings
The passerines have been a highlight this week. We have had 2 reports of a brambling from Kingfisher hide. 5 linnet were also seen feeding on the alders at this hide. A coal tit was seen feeding at the Raines. Three tree sparrows were also seen at the Rai
2 March 2023
Latest Sightings
Birds are beginning to move over the past couple of weeks with waders on the increase and so are Mediterranean gulls, our highest count of which so far was 7 in the roost yesterday evening. Since the 19th there has been at between 1 and 3 med gulls in the
27 February 2023
Latest Sightings
It’s a really exciting time to visit the reserve, as the signs of spring are coming thick and fast. 18 avocets were seen on the mere and at Ron Barker this morning. Other plants are joining the snowdrops: wild garlic, herb Robert and lesser celandine to
20 February 2023
Latest Sightings
An exciting recent visitor to the reserve has been a male hen harrier. He was spotted on Sunday near Woodend marsh and we’ve been told by a researcher tracking him that he’s roosting not far away. An impressive female sparrowhawk has been patrolling
13 February 2023
Latest Sightings
Sightings from the past few days remain fairly similar to last time, the yellow-browed warbler and Siberian chiffchaffs at the sewage works are still attracting plenty of visitors and the sibe chiffs in particular are showing very well. Plenty of common c
9 February 2023
Latest Sightings
Plenty of interesting sightings over the past few days here on the reserve, this morning we had the nice surprise of 3 tundra bean geese which roosted with the pink-footed geese in front of Ron Barker hide. They stayed until around 07:55 am this morning t
6 February 2023
Latest Sightings
The yellow-browed warbler has been proving more elusive the past few days but still present as of today. Also at the sewage farm the 2 Siberian chiffchaffs were showing well this morning and a number of overwintering common chiffchaffs are both at the sew
2 February 2023
Latest Sightings
We are starting to see changes in the waders on the reserve over the past few days with black-tailed godwit numbers beginning to increase, 8 were seen on the mere this morning along with fluctuating numbers of ruff (usually around 10). A redshank was on W
30 January 2023
Latest Sightings
The Yellow-browed warbler and Siberian chiffchaffs are continuing to show well at the sewage farm with at least three Siberian chiffchaffs confirmed. There is also a number of common chiffchaffs and goldcrests, along with a number of other commoner specie
26 January 2023