This morning me and Nathan were counting the sheep in the meadow, I was walking in the long grass when a hare darted out right in front of me, it was so quick, and when it stopped to see what I was doing I saw the sun glaring from behind the transporter and I could see it's frosty breath.
Just before the volunteers started todays work on the island weed clearing, a hide guide spotted the whooper swans and you might have seen Deans Blog post from earlier today. Throughout the next few weeks you can see flying above (calling loudly) greylag and Canada geese with the distinctive V shaped flight path.
A pair of snipe were along the water’s edge at the Saltholme pools hide and the fields behind the main water. The back fields behind the main water that you see from the Saltholme Pools hide are full of birds! You might not see them all unless you take a really good luck with your scope. As I was leaving the reserve today the sun was going down fast, and across the fields I could hear a mixture of waders all settling down for the evening. It won’t be long until more waders arrive and pass through the reserve, but I saw starlings flitting and lapwings gathering for the evening. Other birds like the grey heron and golden plover survey the ground to pick up worms across the fields.
The water rails have been very popular since they have been viewed regularly at the Phil Stead hide and the wildlife watchpoint hide. You can see wrens along the path when walking towards the Phil Stead hide too.
The sparrow hawk has been dipping in and out along the hawthorn hedging and the Wildlife watch point hide. Additional birds sighted today were the marsh harrier, a long tailed duck at east Saltholme, long tailed tits, great crested grebe and little egret. We have autumn birds passing through continuously here at Saltholme and it’s starting to show more this month.
- Josh McGowan