Friday evening was incredible (and that's putting it mildly!). After a hard days work, we made our way to the containers to watch the evening's starling roost and it soon became apparent that numbers had increased significantly since the last time I watched them a couple of day's previously. Two large groups of around 10,000 each were gathering over the reserve, with one group over Phase 2 and the other over Phase 1. Interestingly, the group over Phase 2 contained a bird with lighter coloured wings - a partial albino or leucistic individual. Altogther there must have been approaching 20,000 birds roosting on site - an incredible sight, I'd never seen anything like it before at Langford!
However, that was nothing compared to last night's roost (Sunday 25th November). I didn't see it myself, but our Site Manager, Michael was delighted to witness 30,000 - 40,000 gathering over Phase 2, Phase 1 and silt lagoon 6 - quite a spectacle.
Yesterday also proved good for other species too, including an excellent record of three waxwings feeding on hawthorn berries on Cottage Lane by volunteer Dave Watt and Michael's sighting of a bittern on silt lagoon 6.
Highlights from today include hundreds of fieldfares, redwings and starlings feeding on the Trent bank, grey wagtail over Phase 2, 50 snipe over Phase 2 and 3 curlew calling overhead on Phase 1.
And just to finish off....one from last week over silt lagoon 6.