Some good birds have turned up in the last few weeks. A couple of days before Christmas a bittern was seen in flight across Tindale Tarn - actually a first for the Reserve! Unfortunately this furtive and cryptic heron has not shown itself to any observers since. Also a very handsome drake smew turned up here on Sunday, and is often to be seen very close to the viewing screen. Also this month 90 tufted ducks were counted on the tarn, which is a Reserve record tally. Small parties of whooper swans are also fairly regular visitors to the tarn, a family of 5 were present yesterday, and 2 adults today. Groups of lapwing are now increasingly seen around the Visitor Centre meadows, and golden plover have also been turing up since the New Year. A jack snipe was flushed on the north of the Reserve, and short-eared owl have also been seen (the first since the autumn) . Groups of male black grouse are often easily visible sat high up in hawthorn bushes or other trees, with the occasional female also noted.