Out on the reserve today
Although water levels are rising on the reserve, so that currently the Reedbed hide and Dragonfly ponds are closed and you need wellies for Allport and Friends hides, there are still plenty of birds. All of which are now visible due to the fog clearing.
Yesterdays highlights were:
Pink-footed goose - 50
Yellow wagtail - 1
Siskin - 1
Today there are good numbers of wigeon, pintail, shoveler, gadwall, teal and lapwing on the spits of land in front of the hides. Numbers of pochard and tufted duck have started to increase and can be seen from the main observatory.
Just before dusk last night there was bat activity over the car park whilst it was still light enough to use binoculars to watch them, pipistrelle, noctule and brown long-eared bats were out hunting. There are regular sightings of barn owls hunting the river banks in the mornings and before dusk.
We've started to feed the swans and ducks this week to get them into the routine with times so hopefully they'll be on their best behaviour when we start the 3.30pm feeds this weekend.
