Some more forthcoming winter visitors have been a group of up to 7 whooper swans freshly arrived and seen several times on the D reservoir. Howie Speight managed a fine photo viewable on Flickr. A small group of pink-footed geese has also been around the reserve – these five being on South Marsh East on Wednesday.
Also on the Res. at the moment are around 4 little grebes – here comparing itself with a great crested:
The black-tailed godwit has now gone, but there are still plenty of redshank and curlew, and there were two common sandpipers on D res wall last Sunday. Loads of water rails – not sure anyone has seen one but they can be heard in every reedbed on site. Also on the reservoir roost was a 1st winter mediterranean gull. It would seem that if you put the time in med’ gull is pretty much a cert at the moment.
This group of long-tailed tits and blue tits were hanging around north scrub.
Also on the scrub was this barn owl – it seems to have a penchant for sitting just outside its box at the moment so is readily visible.
Along with a roe deer:
To further the lot of owls around the reserve the nest box team has been adding to the tally of boxes around the site. One species present close to but not within the reserve is the little owl – so we have two new boxes for them:
Along with a new box for the resident kestrel:
And a new tawny box – one of many that have been renewed of late – thanks to Jim Evans for the work:
Possibly one of the final moth traps of the year returned a respectable 11 individuals of four species – winter moth:
December moth:
And ‘species of the trap’ – feathered thorn:
