This is the last WeBS count of the season, unfortunatly it was a bit of a rushed one and I didn't pick up the white-fronted goose, bittern, ruff, little grebe or dunlin during the count (all of which are still around) but there were still lots of other water birds out on the reserve:
Greenaways: Lapwing 20, Wigeon 12, Mute Swan 2, Snipe 1, Golden Plover 5, Mallard 2, Teal 4, Canada Goose 8, Coot 2, Curlew 14, Greylag Goose 8
Reedbed: Coot 10, Grey Heron 1, Gadwall 13, Shoveler 3, Redshank 1, Great Crested Grebe 1, Tufted Duck 22, Teal 35, Water Rail 1
Ashgrave: Teal 25, Wigeon 70, Redshank 2, Greylag Goose 2, Canada Goose 9, Lapwing 71, Mallard 4, Little Egret 1
Big Otmoor: Redshank 7, Black-headed Gull 21, Lapwing 48, Mallard 18, Canada Goose 25, Wigeon 178, Teal 9, Little Egret 1, Shoveler 2, Snipe 46, Golden Plover 60
... so lots of interesting birds around. We've pumped water from Ashgrave onto Big Otmoor so the levels in the scrapes and ditches have come right up. As it's out most productive field in terms of waders nesting it makes sense to make Big Otmoor as optimal as possible. Water levels are still below target levels but hopefully there'll be some more rain on the way soon. Big Otmoor was absolutely amazing in terms of the bird spectacle, lots of lapwing were calling and displaying, redshank were feeding around the scrapes. A large flock of meadow pipits and wagtails were skulking around in the grass. Wigeon were grazing in the wetter areas and the golden plover flock was wheeling around in the sky above. This is exactly how the moor should be looking at this time of year.