Recent sightings
What a spectacular week filled with lots of new wildlife. Yet more Avocets arrived, two mediterranean gull, red admiral butterfly, the common lizards have been soaking up the sunshine and more spotted redshank have been seen around Marsh Covert Hide. Our bearded tits are still being around, so fingers crossed they will be settled now and decide to breed here. Likewise the great egrets keep appearing on Burton Mere Wetlands during the day and again we are hoping they might think about breeding this year.
Wednesday morning was full raptor activity over the scape. We had buzzard, three marsh harriers, peregrine and sparrowhawk all one after the other first thing in the morning. With the odd sighting of merlin over last weekend. We had three brilliant days at Parkgate for the Tidewatch with Thursday being the best for the water coming up in. Sightings of marsh harrier, male hen harrier, short-eared owl, bittern and skeins of pink-footed geese overhead too. Thursday afternoon was one of the best kingfisher views we have had this year. He was perched on the top of the bulrush near the sand martin wall and showing off for ages very close.
Fantastic view as always on the feeders around the visitor centre and down near the barn feeders. Siskin showing well on Thursday around the meres and pink-footed geese still in good numbers overhead across the reserve.
Star sighting
Spring is on its way and a lovely sign of this is the impressive number of grey heron’s 34 seen lined up from Marsh Covert Hide this week.
Avocet update! After the first Avocet turned up on 14 February we have had sixteen more as of Saturday morning.
Wardens Wanderings
Tuesday the assistant warden Liz was out with her hard working team of volunteers doing more essential coppicing, this time in and around the garden getting it ready for the warmer weather. Two of our regular warden volunteers were busy Wednesday morning getting the nest boxes around the reserve tidy and ready for the imminent nesting of birds like blue tits, robins and great tits. Thursday was filled with busy repair jobs like mending and replacing the wooden dividers that separate the car parking spaces.
Get involved
This week has been great at Parkgate on the Tide Watch events.
Other Parkgate events can be found at rspb.org.uk/parkgate.
We still have our Wild Challenge family trail at Burton Mere Wetlands, “Nestboxes Trail” and we have some new Winter Backpacks to hire filled with exciting activities for the kids to take out onto the reserve. Come down, get some fresh air and learn something new.
Wild Challenge nestbox trail: (until end of month)
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/events-dates-and-inspiration/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-464439
Wild Challenge migration trail: (from 1 March)
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/events-dates-and-inspiration/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-464443
Nature Photography workshop:
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/events-dates-and-inspiration/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-463274
Book sale:
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/events-dates-and-inspiration/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-464436
Parkgate Raptorwatch: (last of season)
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/events-dates-and-inspiration/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-458926
Parkgate Tidewatch (March)
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/events-dates-and-inspiration/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-463436