Recent sightings
The redstart and spotted flycatchers are still showed well this week. The ruddy shelduck is sticking around and we're getting great views of both common and green sandpiper in front of reception hide. In addition we had a lovely close up sighting of a yellow wagtail in front of Reception Hide bobbing around on the mud and in the edge of the pool!
Juvenile redstart (John Hewitt)
Wonderful waders – great views of snipe with one count this week at 30! Good variety of other waders including ruff, dunlin, little ringed plover, ringed plover, spotted redshank, greenshank and the ever-growing flocks of lapwings and black-tailed godwits.
Also kingfishers have been seen frequently darting around the reserve so keep your eyes peeled and the cattle egret is still being seen well from the Reception Hide fluttering around the main scrape.
There have been plenty of beautiful butterflies and dragonflies enjoying the warmer days aswell as common lizard which can be seen if you’re lucky basking on the fences or dead wood.
Star sighting
The star sighting for this week has to be the 4 spectacular spoonbills that turned up on the reserve on Monday. The single adult with three juveniles were in front of Reception Hide out on the main scrape and it was very special to see the begging behaviour being displayed by the juveniles. They returned for their encore on Thursday just after midday and stuck around during the afternoon until they decided it was curtain call.
Spoonbills (John Hewitt)
Wardens wanderings
This week our wardens been busy cutting out on the wet grassland, opening up a lot of the vegetation making it great for the birds such as marsh harrier, kestrel and cattle egret to feed. This cutting is vital to maintain the wet grassland habitat that’s been created, to control the rush growth and to continually improve and extend the wet grassland. The site is managed for breeding waders such as lapwing, redshank and avocet who all thrive in this type of wet grassland habitat.
Get Involved
Following on from our popular Badgerwatch events that took place during August you’ll be pleased to hear we have added some extra dates for September. We'll also be at Parkgate next Tuesday for Tidewatch event for the biggest tide of the month, and the following Saturday we have a Hilbre Low Tide Birdwatch with Wirral Coastal Rangers with chance of seeing various migrants on passage and growing numbers of birds returning for the winter.