There are some things that not many people get to see on Otmoor. Seeing snipe chicks hatching out is definitely one of these special things. Whilst changing the battery on one of the nest cameras I heard cheeping coming from the nest and peering inside saw that the chicks had started hatching; 2 were out of their eggs, one was just pecking its way out and I’m sure the fourth wasn’t far behind. The egg teeth can still be seen on the ends of the chicks long bills. With Otmoor being the only Central England site where snipe breed it was a privilege to be able to see this special moment. I’ll be collecting the memory card in from the nest camera later today so it will be interesting to see what happened after I left.
Other recent sightings on the moor have included a female marsh harrier, which has been seen quite regularly over the reed bed. Yellow wagtail, turtle dove, green sandpiper, dunlin, redshank chicks and hobbies have all been reported and quail have been heard calling from the Closes field (to the East of the Wetlands Watch Hide).
The Wednesday and Thursday work parties are currently up-grading the cattle handling facilities on Greenaways and we’re in the process of ordering in the materials we need for rebuilding the viewing screens. They are going to be made from the same wood as the hide so should look great when finished.