Recent sightings
It was yet another wonderful week filled with some spectacular wildlife. The raptors have been entertaining us over the main scrape. The marsh harrier, peregrine, sparrowhawk, kestrel, merlin, hen harrier (ringtail) and even a red kite all made an appearance.
The bearded tits have still been showing well from the reedbed screen, it just needs plenty of persistence. Marsh Covert Hide and Bridge Screen have equally been good for the ducks like pintail ,wigeon, gadwall, tufted duck, teal, shoveler, and shelduck.
Wigeon by Lynne Greenstreet
Finally the winter thrushes are making more of an appearance. Their numbers have been a bit lower than usual onsite. Redwing and fieldfare have been spotted on the crop fields and near the bunker hide. We have a lovely flock of curlew most days feeding on the edges of the scrape. The snipe, dunlin, redshank, green sandpiper, black-tailed godwits are seen daily franticly feeding away across the reserve and still great numbers of lapwing flocks particularly along the Parkgate area. Water rail are a regular but very shy visitor so you need to spend a bit of time looking from the visitor centre and occasionally you might just get one of the best views as it sneaks past on the muddy edges. Water pipit are another little gem that was spotted in the week from inner marsh farm hide.
Up the top end of the reserve near the railway bridge, the crop fields and scrub around that area are still great places to see the linnet, bullfinch, goldcrest, siskin, stonechat, and reed bunting.
The reserve feeders are as always full of hustle and bustle and there are plenty of gorgeous garden birds to help you get some practice in for the Big Garden Birdwatch at the end of the month. Species like great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, greenfinch, goldfinch, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, robin, blackbird, chaffinch and tong-tailed tit are always seen out there and may turn up in your garden.
Star sighting
Star sighting for the week was a family party of bewick’s swans, 2 adults and 2 juveniles in amongst the flock of mute swans and the small flock of whooper swans that are almost always at the back of the reserve on the shotwick fields. This was the first confirmed sighting this winter on Burton Mere Wetlands.
Bewick's swan by Andy Davis
Wardens' wanderings
Assistant warden Liz and her team of volunteers were back on their first work party of the year and have been working hard cutting back reed and rush off the back of the scrape area. Essential winter habitat management.
Get involved
The January family quiz trail ‘Big Garden Birdwatch Trail’ is out for all the family to get inspired. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of National Big Garden Birdwatch on the weekend of (26-28 January 2019), we will be running an event on Sunday 20 January where you can come down to the reserve and make your own bird feeders to entice feathered friends into your garden and help them to survive the cold winter months. Our knowledgeable team will also be on hand to assist with garden bird identification to help you prepare for your birdwatch in your own garden, green space or school grounds.
Busy garden birds by Lynne Greenstreet
Reminder:
Parkgate events can be found at rspb.org.uk/parkgate, including the next Tidewatch on Wednesday 23 January and the next Raptorwatch on Sunday 10 February.
Full details for more events and guided walks can be found at rspb.org.uk/burtonmerewetlands, with booking via Eventbrite.
Read more at https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/deeestuary/b/deeestuary-blog/default.aspx#1xq6JvOfuI94B6dl.99