We might have been taking it easy over this festive period, but our wildlife certainly hasn’t. The sightings book has been as full as ever over the past few days, so here’s the festive sightings blog.
Last Sunday there was a weasel spotted on the boardwalk near the visitor centre! These tiny little carnivores are on average only about the length of a 15cm ruler, but despite their small size they are very fierce hunters, capable of killing prey 5-10 times their own weight. They don’t dig their own burrows, instead nest in the abandoned burrows of other species, like moles and rats.
Also on Sunday, we had an unusual sighting of a pair of reed buntings in the wildlife garden. These little birds are sparrow-sized, and are typically found in farmland and wetland vegetation. In the winter, however, they frequent people’s gardens in search of seeds, which means they were probably fuelling up in the chilly weather. The males are quite distinctive, as they have a rather dramatic coal-black head, with a white collar and drooping moustache.
Reed bunting image by MIke Richards (rspb-images.com)
We’re still seeing lots of lovely tits and finches on our feeders and our Christmas tree full of treats outside the visitor centre. At this time of year, it’s extra important to give those garden birds a good supply of food to sustain them in the cold weather. Another essential that lots of us often forget is to supply some fresh, unfrozen water. This is hard to come by for wildlife in the winter months, but all kinds of wildlife need it, so this is a simple and easy way to make your garden that much more nature-friendly.
Goldfinches image by John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
We’re still getting plenty of reports of wintering wildfowl seen across the reserve, so if you fancy spotting bold and striking goldeneyes, beautiful and elegant pintails, or sleek and stunning goosanders, Fairburn is the place to be this winter! Our shiny new information panels have recently gone up in the hides too to give give you some extra help with wildlife identification - we're getting some great feedback, so come and see them for yourselves!
Pintail image by Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)