Just in case it's useful, here's an aerial photo of the reserve, with the key features and areas marked. The photo is a few years out of date and does not show Phase 3 in all it's glory, but it helps see how the site fits together and also helps with pinpointing the locations of wildlife sightings. The perimeter footpath is shown as well as the North Trail and the Cromwell Trail, which loop around the part of the site (Phase 1 ) open to the public. The rest of the site (Phase 2, Phase 3, Main Lake, Eastern Agricultural Area and the Silt Lagoons) is strictly off-limits and has no public access, but can be viewed from the perimeter footpath. In fact almost all the good stuff that's turned up on Phase 3 has been picked up by people from this footpath. These non-public areas provide an essential safety buffer between us and the quarry and also ensure that there are quiet, undisturbed parts of the site for wildlife to make use of.
In terms of sightings, flocks of golden plover have been see going over for the past couple of weeks, with up to 120 seen at a time. A small group of roe deer are being seen on a regular basis and hares can be seen running around on the bank of the High Level Water Carrier. I saw a female marsh harrier over Phase 1 on Friday, along with a peregrine on Phase 3. Excitingly I bumped into a couple of male bearded tits on Phase 2 last Wednesday, although they could be any where on site, so keep your eyes and ears open. Winter visitors are starting to be recorded, with three stonechats this morning on Phase 1 and goldeneye and pintail having been seen out on Phase 3. Redwing, fieldfare, mandarin and red-crested pochard have been recorded recently and two whooper swans were picked up flying over the reserve. Large flocks of meadow pipits and linnets are feeding on Phase 3 and teal and wigeon numbers are building up across the site. Two bitterns have also been seen out on Phase 1, although like the bearded tits, luck needs to be on your side to see them!
Whooper swans over Langford - Stuart Carlton. Twitter; @StuartCarlton48