A soggy start to 2014

Well it's been about a year and a half since my last blog, so i feel one's about due. My New Year's resolution is to remember to write a regular blog (we'll see how long it lasts). Monday was my first day back after the Christmas break and the site has changed just in the last few weeks - water levels have risen across the reserve (see attached picture for our very full reservoir) and as a consequence the birds have moved around too. Monday was also our first WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) of the year and it was a good chance to check out the reserve. Although generally quite quiet there were good numbers of curlew, teal and wigeon on the reserve, but the wind was keeping the wildfowl tucked in tight to the loch edge, with the open water in the middle of the loch holding only a few cormorant, great crested grebe and goosander. The Loch Leven NNR WeBS counts (for the whole loch) have been totted up and these are a few of the figures: 1208 coot, 354 curlew, 198 goldeneye, 1 greenshank, 467 mallard, 175 mute swans, 639 pochard, 28 shelduck, 25 snipe, 1197 teal, 1519 tufted duck, 60 whooper swans and 389 wigeon. There were great views of a kingfisher zipping along the River Leven just after the sluices at Levenmouth and plenty of fieldfare feeding in the fields opposite. A dreich morning turned in to a mild afternoon and it was great to get out and about and see what birds are around. Sadly no eagle sightings this week, but we're always on the lookout. It's still early in the New Year, but there's quite a bit to get done to get the reserve ship-shape before the breeding season. Plans for the next 2 months include improving the screen by the Carden hide, churning up some of the ground on the wetland to make it just how the lapwing like it and doing a little more topping. At the end of 2013 we had done fair bit of rush cutting - opening up the habitat to increase potential nesting areas, but now we'd like to do a little more, including cutting some rush on the islands on the main flood to make it attractive to waders, which we hope will include little ringed plover.