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Joe Harris (RSPB Langford Lowfields Site Manager)

If you love coots and mute swans, then Langford is place to be right now! as highlighted by the July WeBS count...

P1

P2

P3

Total

Black headed gull

21

9

10

40

Common tern

2

3

5

Lapwing

7

6

13

Grey heron

1

1

6

8

Little egret

1

3

9

13

Moorhen 

2

3

5

Coot 

4

14

154

172

Great crested grebe

7

11

5

23

Mallard

22

66

86

174

Teal

3

4

9

16

Gadwall

4

7

2

13

Pochard

2

5

29

36

Ferruginous x Pochard

1

1

Tufted duck

2

5

100

107

Cormorant

5

5

1

11

Garganey

2

2

Great white egret

2

2

Greylag goose

48

36

84

Little grebe

1

1

Oystercatcher

1

2

3

Water rail

1

1

Mute swan

100

100

Little ringed plover

3

3

Black tailed godwit

3

3

Canada goose

119

119

Greenshank

1

1

Bar-headed goose (feral)

1

1

Water levels are dropping a little bit in the Phase 3 area at the moment as we get started with our annual reed planting and this is luring in a smattering of waders. We've had good numbers of black-tailed godwits moving through recently with 21 on the 4th July and also had four sandwich terns on site for a short period on 12th July. Photo below of the cheese and pickle tern taken by James Wilkinson.

Reed planting this year is focusing on the central Phase 3 island. We are aiming to plant 20000 seedlings, all of them surrounding by temporary fencing to allow them to settle before being exposed to the hungry hoards of geese. All seedlings are grown on site in our polytunnel by reed propagator extraordinaire Ross and are then planted between July and late September by our volunteer teams. 20000 would be a new record number, so you'll be seeing a lot of frantic activity over the coming weeks.