Firstly, I'd like to say Merry Christmas to those who read this blog post and thank you for your support over the year.
Robin on a frozen puddle - Graham Parry
We've made some fantastic progress over the year with various projects and activities. Here's a highlight of what's been happening on the reserve:
1. Our Re-Tern project; raising the islands on Burrowes Pit which now supports large groups of gulls, waders and roosting geese and ducks as well as great viewing opportunities for our visitors. Hopefully in the spring we will have breeding seabirds and waders using these islands too.
Excavator at work - Craig Edwards
2. Our work over at Lydden Valley has been rewarding, after a winter planting shrubs and a spring sewing the right food, we have attracted the endangered Turtle Doves to feed and breed on the reserve.
Turtle dove - Dave Clarke
3. Our event over at the Sound Mirrors attracted 700 visitors to the reserve in one day. This enthusiasm and popularity of such incredible structures has spurred us on to create a range of events around the Sound Mirrors for next year.
Sound Mirror Open Day - Louise Kelly
4. It was a great year for lapwing as we had 12 adult pairs counted on the reserve and 19 chicks fledged which is an incredible result for our reserve. For our tree sparrows, we had 7 nests which fledged 26 chicks.
Lapwing - Andy Hay
5. We've welcomed our wintering Long-eared owl back again for the third time this year.
Long-eared owl - John Caddick
6. We've put on some highly successful events including our Bittern Breakfasts (which we will be running again in April) and our Wild Families events throughout the school holidays (there will be more of these next year!).
Pond dipping - Louise Kelly