Please note that the reserve is still closed due to the on-going flooding situation. The public car park and the public footpath that follows the outer perimeter of the site are open but it may well be the case that not all the birds counted on WeBS are viewable.

After the October WeBS count was cancelled due to the flooding, the regular honker and quacker counters were released from their cages on Sunday eager for some wetland action. Their enthusiasm paid off and a new site record for Mandarin ducks was hit with 11 counted in total. Three black-necked grebes was also a good number for the site and with four recorded during the spring it looks like Langford is giving them what they want.

P1

P2

P3

Total

Black-headed gull

1

1

2

Coot

57

61

29

147

Cormorant

6

8

1

15

Gadwall

34

55

7

96

Great white egret

1

1

2

Greylag goose

5

9

14

Kingfisher

2

2

Little egret

22

3

2

27

Mallard

17

83

63

163

Mandarin duck

4

7

11

Mute swan

1

1

2

Pochard

1

36

7

44

Shoveler

14

9

23

Teal

9

2

200

211

Tufted duck

69

134

95

298

Wigeon

7

33

40

Bittern

1

1

Great crested grebe

4

2

6

Black-necked grebe

3

3

Canada goose

2

2

Goldeneye

9

9

Grey heron

1

3

4

Little grebe

1

1

There is still no firm idea of when the reserve will be re-opened, with the Trent needing to drop a bit more to allow the release of water still sitting on the Visitor Trail. Whilst the reserve remains closed, if you're feeling adventurous the 4 mile walk around the perimeter is worth doing, with great white egrets, cattle egret, pintail, marsh harriers and stonechat seen along the route over the past week.

Two of the black-necked grebes (James Wilkinson).