Here we go, the WeBS results for December 2019...

Black headed gull

220

Coot

81

Cormorant

22

Gadwall

58

Goldeneys

9

Great crested grebe

5

Grey Heron

3

Little grebe

7

Mallard

62

Moorhen

2

Mute swan

13

Pochard

48

Shoveler

27

Snipe

1

Teal

133

Tufted duck

159

Water rail

2

Wigeon

229

Great black backed gull

1

…

Water levels on the reserve have dropped by about a metre over the past week, with the River Trent finally allowing us to release water through the big outfall sluice. Parts of the trails are still underwater though and so they remain closed and in fact will remain closed until they've had a bit of time to dry out. I'm hoping this will happen before Christmas, but it all depends on the weather and how helpful the river…

So... the November WeBS count was delayed due to the River Trent deciding to come over the top of the flood bank and pour onto the reserve. This isn't ideal and meant the reserve had to be closed. Our water levels on site are now currently about 2m above our normal winter target and everything is looking a bit damp. We are now just waiting for the river to drop a bit so water can flow out through the sluice.

The reserve…

Due to very high water levels some of the trails at Langford are now closed, as well as the bridge, boardwalk and dipping platform. The viewing platform can still be accessed via the diverted trail and the Beach Hut is still open when manned.  

I mentioned this in the previous blog, but water levels are high on the reserve at the moment and set to get higher, with us having no way of getting rid of the excess water. It is likely that we'll have to close the boardwalk and potentially other sections of the trail if they get too wet, over the next few days. We're also keeping a close eye on the river, with there being a flood warning in place. I would recommend…

There is a lot of water on the reserve at the moment, with levels being at their highest ever (apart from in a flood year). Part of the Seasonal Trail is under water and so this has now been closed off. Part of the boardwalk is also submerged and although we've not closed it yet, we are keeping a close eye on the situation. Water levels will continue to rise as more water is over-spilling from Slough Dyke, leaking into…

Amazingly in the space of a week, 3 species of harrier were recorded at Langford. With a marsh harrier on site on an almost daily basis for the past few weeks, a hen harrier reported on both 10th and 20th October and most amazing of all a pallid harrier on 12th October. Only the second ever record for Nottinghamshire and quite possibly the rarest bird ever seen at Langford. Sadly the pallid harrier only stuck around for…

This is very exciting news...

For the first time, bitterns bred at Langford Lowfields this year! This is a historic moment in the story of the site and is an excellent seal of approval, that all the work we're doing to help this rare reedbed-loving species is working. Three male bitterns could be heard loudly booming this year, with the sound carrying as far as the public car park, almost 1km away. One of these 'boomers…

There is a lot of water on the reserve at the moment, all the rain combined with loads of water in the River Trent has meant that water levels went up by 2 foot in the course of a fortnight. This has meant that a lot of the muddy areas on site, which had been luring in a good selection of wading birds were and still are submerged. There have still been some 'good' birds about recently though, including marsh harrier, great…

The breeding season is now well and truly over at Langford and it feels like autumn is approaching. The first migrants are starting to come through the site, with a good list of waders making use of the site to stop and feed on their long journeys. Common and green sandpiper have been seen regularly, as have greenshank, curlew, whimbrel, ringed plover and little ringed plover. We even had a record total of 5 wood san…

Most of the bird life on the reserve at the moment is congregating on Phase 3 and viewable from the perimeter footpath. Parts of the area can also be seen from the new seasonal trail that was opened on Monday. The trail will be open until the winter, when it'll be closed off to give the flocks of wintering wildfowl the space and lack of disturbance that they require. The trail is a there-and-back-again walk, finishing…

The results are in from July's WeBS count:

Avocet

4

Black headed gull

122

Canada goose

43

Coot

242

Common tern

8

Cormorant

7

Great crested grebe

11

Grey heron

1

Greylag goose

68

Lapwing

49

Little egret

11

Mallard

117

Moorhen

7

Mute swan

34

Pochard

32

Tufted duck

119

Green sandpiper

2

Gadwall

…

Our monthly WeBS counts give us a good idea, albeit a snapshot, of what species are on the reserve and how many of them there are. The recent heavy rainfalls have brought up water levels in the River Trent and on the reserve too, this has potentially impacted on the number of individuals of some species recorded, avocets being a good example (down from 34 birds last month). 29 different species were recorded though with…

Here they are! The WeBS count totals for May. Lots of good birds on site, including a record (for Langford) count of 34 avocets! If you're lucky you might even be able to see a couple of youngsters on the silt lagoon as you stroll up the pubic footpath towards the Beach Hut. It's getting a bit late in the season but the bittern north of the floating bridge is still booming sporadically, hobbies are being seen daily (11…

There has been a complete wader fest at Langford over the last few weeks, with some excellent sightings including only a second ever for the site.

To begin with, there have been good numbers of some more common species including 5 bar-tailed godwits, 25 ringed plovers - a species that sometimes breeds at Langford, 34 avocets and a whopping 184 dunlin. The counts of ringed plover, avocet and dunlin are records for the…

The WeBS count records for April are....

Canada goose

35

Greylag goose

53

Pink footed goose

1

Mute swan

14

Cormorant

14

Grey heron

3

Little egret

4

Great crested grebe

23

Little grebe

2

Coot

72

Moorhen

7

Shelduck

5

Mallard

43

Pochard

3

Gadwall

53

Tufted duck

107

Shoveler

6

Teal

13

Avocet

33

Snipe

1

…

We hosted a guided walk today for the Notts Birders. The weather was beautiful and we saw over 60 species of birds, including all 10 of the warbler species that breed here, a good range of wading birds and some nice unexpected migrants too. Dunlin and bar-tailed godwit were also reported this morning but we didn't see either of them:

Great crested grebe

Cormorant

Bittern

Little egret

Grey heron

Mute swan

Whooper …

More spring migrants are coming onto site now as the days lengthen and (hopefully!) get warmer. Over the weekend we have had the first lesser whitethroat and sedge warbler. Listen out for lesser whitethroat singing with their distinctive 'trill' sound from deep inside bushes alongside the main track to the Beach Hut. They are often skulking little birds, so you will more likely hear them than see them. Sedge warblers…

Spring is well on it's way here at Langford, with quite a few of our spring migrants having now made an appearance on site. Sand martins have been seen on site for a couple of weeks now, but have been recently joined by the other two hirundine species, swallow and house martin.

Both yellow and white wagtails have been seen in the last few days. Watch out for white wagtails in flocks with yellows and occasionally we…

After much anticipation, here are the WeBS count totals for March:

Green sandpiper

2

Snipe 

2

Avocet 

10

Black headed gull

335

Common gull

10

Herring gull

7

Lesser black backed gull

3

Greater black backed gull

3

Canada goose

47

Greylag goose

10

Coot

98

Gadwall

13

Great crested grebe

11

Lapwing

5

Little grebe

2

M…

It's been another good couple of week at Langford, with some nice wildlife sightings and the first of the returning summer migrants.

Sand martins are often the first to come back to Langford and several have been seen feeding over the reserve in the last week. A couple of weeks ago, we prepared the face of the sand martin nesting bank, getting it ready for the returning birds - fingers crossed for them nesting in…

It feels like winter has returned a bit in the last few days out on site, however the signs of spring have been apparent both during the warm weather and now.

There's nothing better than a singing skylark on a warm late winter day and they have been in full voice recently, one rose up singing yesterday afternoon even in the howling wind, as soon as the rain stopped! Several other species of bird have been heard singing…

Skylarks are singing, great-crested grebes are weed dancing, colts’ foot is in flower and brimstone, comma, red admiral and peacock butterflies are on the wing... spring is springing!

The February WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) count served up another generous helping of wetland delights. Last year our dedicated WeBS volunteers were trudging through a cold, windy, Antarctic-like landscape, this year was totally different…

Another good selection of wintry birds were picked up on the January WeBS. Including the earliest avocet ever recorded in Notts, Caspian gull, 2 great-white egrets and 21 whooper swans:

Tufted duck

181

Mallard

79

Teal

124

Moorhen

8

Black headed gull

408

Redshank

1

Little grebe

3

Mute swan

38

Grey heron

8

Snipe

4

Wigeon

111

Cormorant

…

Drum roll....... Here are the results from the December WeBS count at Langford:

Black headed gull

152

Canada goose

35

Coot

56

Cormorant

31

Gadwall

68

Goldeneye

10

Great crested grebe 

2

Grey heron

5

Greylag goose

30

Kingfisher 

1

Little egret

2

Little grebe 

3

Mallard

58

Moorhen

6

Mute swan

34

Pochard

21

Shoveller

14

…