We sometimes receive comments from visitors who don't seem to have seen much at the reserve, and more than once the expression 'there are more birds in my garden' has been used. Therefore I thought I'd post the list that a local birder sent me after his visit on Saturday 12th October:- 5 Little Grebe, 6 Fieldfare, 35 Redwing, 10+ Song thrush, 4+ Blackbird, 4+ Common Snipe, 4 Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, 27 Teal, 20+ Mallard, Wigeon, 5+ Moorhen, 1 Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, 30 Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 2 Grey Heron, Reed Bunting - lots roosting, Yellowhammer, Skylark (lots), 2 Canada Geese, 200+ Greylag Geese, 100 Lapwing, Swallow, Blackcap, 2+ Chiffchaff, 2+ Goldcrest, Pied Wagtail, 4 Cormorant, Treecreeper, Dunnock, 150 gulls - seemed to be all LBBs, but light not good, and observer not experienced, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Water Rail (including leucisctic), Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, 3 Jay. That's more than 40 species in probably 3 hours (he didn't tell me how long he was on the reserve)!
A quiet day on the reserve, then?
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.