And one of several very audible great spotted woodpeckers around the site:
That's not to knock the white fronted goose on Hempholme Meadow which is 'generally' there but does go walkies occasionally like today:
There's also a barnacle goose on Watton NR at present with Mediterranean gull on the D res roost on Tuesday. Barn owls have been active with up to three on North Scrub following heavy night rainfall (tomorrow morning would be worth a look) A few more mammal highlights this week with roe deer eating charcoal from the North Marsh bonfire, water vole in South Marsh with water shrew. But otter has been forthcoming the last couple of days on the North Marsh - there's some great pictures on Michael Flowers's blog covering his groups last couple of days of visits.
Management wise we've now finished work on South Marsh East - after an awful lot of graft we've removed nearly all the willow saplings from last summer and the level is well up. Shoveler, coot and and Mute Swan are holding territory and hopefully are the vanguard of a successful breeding year behind a curtain of electric fencing to keep the foxes off.
Attention now turns to finishing off jobs; north marsh otter holt camera installation, grass snakes heaps, tree cutting and planting and a bit of winter meadow cutting to see the winter out.
Look out too on the species lists above as Doug Fairweather and Martin Hodges have put a lot of effort into updating these and on coming evenings I will be updating the content.
