There’s been a similar feel to the sightings this past week as we move to the end of autumn and edge ever nearer to the short, cold days of winter. Still, the weather has been relatively kind and as a result plenty of visitors have delighted at seeing the long-eared owl, found roosting beside the Inner Marsh Farm trail most days in the past week.
Perhaps the biggest news is the herd of cattle were taken off the wet grassland at the weekend, which surely means the end of the cattle egrets is nigh. Six remained on Sunday but by Tuesday the count was down to two. On Sunday, a male green-winged teal was discovered between the swathes of teal on the main scrape and showed well all day. Unfortunately however it has not been located since, but for those who like a challenge, finding it again is certainly something to get your teeth stuck into!
Green-winged teal by Hugh Stewart
Elsewhere, a grey wagtail has been a regular sighting on the edge of Burton Mere, whilst kingfishers have been seen from the Inner Marsh Farm hide, Burton Mere trail and Reception Hide, including two together on Tuesday.
The harriers continue to be as prevalent as last week, but peregrine and sparrowhawk have been more prevalent, the former hunting the growing flocks of ducks and lapwings, the latter trying its luck with the increasing number of starlings who most days have performed an impressive murmuration over the main scrape – offering excellent views from Reception Hide especially when coupled with a colourful sunset – before dropping into the reedbed to roost.
There’s still places on our Trees and Fungi guided walk this Sunday morning, an opportunity not to be missed if you’re interested in the more sedentary but equally valuable parts of the reserve’s wildlife. Call the reserve on 0151 353 8478 or email deeestuary@rspb.org.uk for more details and to book.
Please note we are starting some routine ditch clearance work across the reserve on Wednesday using an excavator. This will cause some localised disturbance which will be most significant along the stretch of ditch between the Reception Hide and the main scrape, which we expect to be on Thursday or Friday. Disturbance will be limited to a small area of the reserve at a time meaning the birds will move to other pools and be visible from other hides and screens. We appreciate your patience during the course of this essential maintenance work; for further updates please call the reserve on 0151 353 8478.
Finally, don’t forget Chris our caterer will be back with his van from Wednesday to Sunday, cooking up hot sandwiches and serving hot soup to take the edge of these chilly days. The weather forecast is looking fine and dry for the next few days, perfect for a visit to see our plentiful and varied feathered winter visitors.