Before I arrived through the reserve gates this morning, the lapwings made themselves noticeable by flying above the road. At the beginning of the day the sun came out from the middle of the fog. All morning the fog shifted around the reserve.
There is a wide range of waders that you can currently see from the visitors centre – this morning I saw the coots, moorhens and a water rail which made it easy to compare the size differences when they all were feeding together at the edge of the main lake. You can see a selection of ducks and today it was possible to see the mallard, wigeon and the teal all feeding in the same area. The fox made an appearance today and went the whole way round the main lake; it was sniffing and probably looking for a meal.
The estate team have been placing fence posts into their new positions to create a new stock fence; the stock fence is a standard fencing that is used for cattle and sheep around the reserve. In this case it is being put in place so that cattle can be managed in this particular area in future. We had a number of fence posts and the way to get them into their positions was by moving them across the water and along the reed beds where the fences will stand.
The picture above shows Nathan and Ian moving the posts through the reeds. The picture below shows Ed, Linda and Peter moving the posts and these have been taken through the water.
One of the next big events is the Big Garden Birdwatch. This event happens on the 25-26th of January (the weekend coming.) At home you can sit down and watch the birds that feed in your garden. To find out how it works visit the link here. The birds that feature in the Big Garden Bird watch also can be found at Saltholme, You can hear and see goldfinches, the wrens, the great tits and the starlings.
- Josh McGowan