As the winter progresses into November, we expect to see an increase in wildfowl numbers on site. This is the start of the busiest time of year for our WeBS counters. Matt and Stuart completed the count this month, at times in hail, rain and gale force winds! But our hardy guys persevered and had a good morning – here are their results....
171 teal
152 tufted duck
94 mallard
20 pochard
18 gadwall
15 wigeon
13 shoveler
12 goldeneye
10 mute swan
32 coot
4 moorhen
3 grey heron
1 little egret
1 bittern
16 cormorant
155 lapwing
4 dunlin
1 snipe
1 green sandpiper
1 redshank
1 kingfisher
65 black-headed gull
The guys also had marsh harrier during the count. The bearded tits continue to show well, with sightings (or ‘pingings’ – their distinctive vocalisations) on an almost daily basis. They seem to be moving around regularly, turning up in pretty much any stand of reed on site and have been seen or heard from almost every reedy area on the visitor trails.
Cetti’s warblers appear to be doing very well too. Off the back of our success in confirming the first ever breeding on site this summer, their numbers seem to have increased significantly over the autumn and there are now possibly up to 10 singing birds on site.
Water rails are also very vocal at this time of year. Every time I go out on site, I can hear their ‘squealing’ calls coming from somewhere in the reedbed. Keep an eye open too on reedy island edges, as you may see one feeding along the water’s edge.
Always a pleasure to see a bittern drifting over the reedbed on a WeBS count. John Bridges (rspb-images.com)