As well as doing a WEBS (Wetland Bird Survey) count every month, we also do an ‘unofficial’ WEBS count once a month. November's count was carried out on Monday 7th November and the birds recorded were...

Greenaways: 4 mute swan, 16 mallard, 1 grey heron, 1 lesser black back gull, 3 snipe, 3 teal, 1 buzzard

Ashgrave: 8 greylag geese, 1 grey heron

Big Otmoor: 87 canada geese, 99 greylag geese, 25 mallard, 1 little grebe, 4 teal, 12 lapwing, 1 kestrel

Reedbed: 28 mallard, 4 shoveler, 35 wigeon, 181 teal, 1 mute swan, c.350 lapwing, 1 cormorant, 1 moorhen

The short-eared owls are still being seen most days, a merlin has been spotted hunting over Greenaways and a few grey partridge seem to have taken up residence on Ashgrave.  The first brambling of the year has been reported and although none were picked up on the unofficial WEBS count, numbers of golden plover are building up on the moor.