November's Wetland Bird Survey

As mentioned yesterday, we have record numbers of people on site at the moment, it is very busy and we look set to smash our previous maximum monthly visitor count. Please maintain the 2m social distance from other visitors and be courteous and patient with others. Probably a good idea to stick some hand sanitizer in your pocket too, so you can give your hands a clean before and after touching the gates leading onto the reserve. Even though you're outside you still need to be cautious, particularly in the pinch-point type areas of the car park and the public footpath leading from the car park to the Beach Hut.

Stuart and the WeBS gang were out again on 16th November, counting up all the wetland birds on site. These counts give us an excellent overview of what species are about and in what numbers. For anyone who has tried counting large numbers of mixed flocks of duck, you'll know that this isn't the quickest or easiest of jobs...

Highlights included the 2 great white egrets, with at least one bird having been on site daily now since August! Also the high number of wintering teal, the goldeneye and the lone pintail.

Tree sparrows are continuing to make use of the wild bird crop adjacent to the car park, with other sightings of note over the past week including 2 avocet, 8 shelduck, chiffchaff, stonechat, raven, grey wagtail, marsh harrier, whooper swans, pink-footed geese (flying over), goldcrest, redwings, fieldfares and a few redpoll.

Mistle thrush, taken by Stuart Carlton. One was singing it's mournful song yesterday from a high tree in the woodland.