Mersehead Recent Sightings 30th January – 5th February 2021
As I am sure it was for many of you, participating in the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch (BGBW) was one of the highlights of the weekend. With the feeders primed, I sat by the kitchen window with binoculars in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, and watched in anticipation to see which species (and how many) would pay a visit in the hour I had allotted. There was something immensely becalming and enjoyable about knowing that any thoughts of housework or what needed doing for the rest of the day could be put to one side for 60 minutes, guilt free, in the interest of playing my part in a vital citizen science project. There were some tense moments, with Tree Sparrow and Goldfinch (both regular visitors), leaving it until the last 5 minutes to make an appearance. Despite the Greenfinches, Starlings and House Sparrows obviously not receiving the invitation, I was still able to record 11 species, with 5 Yellowhammer topping the list.
Yellowhammer and Robin during BGBW. Photo credit: P. Radford
Goldfinch and Tree Sparrow during BGBW. Photo credit: P. Radford
Monday brought the start of a new month, and at first it felt like we were moving one step closer to spring. The days have noticeably lengthened, with daylight hours now approximately 1.5 hours longer than at the winter solstice; the wetlands are a cacophony of sound with courtship displays in full swing, and bird song and calling is increasing as territories are contested and mates sought. A particularly warming feeling was experienced by observing and listening to male Skylarks, who have started their highflying musical displays in some of the grassland fields.
Male Teal at Mersehead. Photo Credit: P. Radford
For the rest of the week, the weather dominated the Mersehead headlines, as any hopes of new seasons were unceremoniously and abruptly dashed. Tuesday started with a light, yet noticeable covering of snow, which was enough to prompt some discreet humming of festive tunes. Snow quickly turned to heavy and persistent rain, being driven in by freezing easterly winds, which didn’t abate until Friday morning. Over 72 hours, 108mm of rain fell on Mersehead. To put this into context, the average rainfall for the whole of February at Mersehead over the last five years has been around 80mm! I have also been reliably informed that this is the most rain to fall in such a short period in the last 8 years.
Only last week, we were talking about waterfowl and waders huddling on limited bodies of unfrozen water, but now with burns overflowing into ditches and ditches overflowing into fields, Mersehead has quickly become a wetland oasis for our overwintering visitors.
As the old saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words, so here are some to give an impression of the extent of the flooding.
Looking festive - for about 3 hours on Tuesday. Photo credit: P. Radford
A wintery scene at Mersehead. Photo credit: P. Radford
Looking down on a flooded Mersehead. Photo credit: E. Neilson
Access denied. Photo credit: P. Radford
Mersehead Marina. Photo credit: P. Radford
Snowdrops - more like raindrops. Photo credit: P. Radford
Overflowing ditch and flooded field. Photo credit: P. Radford
Waterfowl enjoying the wetlands extension. Photo credit: P. Radford
With the worst of the weather passing by Friday, it was possible to come out of hiding and complete a small amount of practical work, cutting Japanese Rose on the Bruaich hide path. After the bleakness of the past few days, it was fantastic to be treated to a spot colour. Firstly, the bright blue rump of a Kingfisher flew low towards the hide. This bird had also spotted the previous day, making it number 92 on the reserve list. Then a male Bullfinch, looking resplendent with its pink breast contrasting the grey and black wings, hopped between the blackthorns.
Male bullfinch. Photo credit: John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
The week ended with a count of 2,740 Barnacle Geese across Mersehead, who had spread themselves across the reserve in search of exposed grass. However they seemed to be enjoying splashing around in the vast puddles as well.
At the time of writing, the reserve is not accessible due to flooding. However, in general Mersehead is open to visitors but all indoor facilities are closed under Tier-4 rules, this includes the bird hides, Visitor Centre and toilets with our trails and car park remaining open at present. We will keep you updated on any changes.
Paul Radford, Assistant Warden
Thanks for taking the trouble to keep everyone informed, it's certainly good to hear what's happening. Great photos too.