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Author Archive
Tuesday, September 07th, 2010 | Author: Sheila
What a handsome fellow!
Category: birds
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Sunday, May 16th, 2010 | Author: Sheila
A lovely picture sent in by one of our members.
Category: birds
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Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 | Author: Sheila
I nearly stepped on this grass snake that was
basking in the morning sunshine on the entrance
basking in the morning sunshine on the entrance
drive. A group of ramblers arrived at the same
and were thrilled to share this sighting with us.
This must now be the most photographed snake
in England! It eventually became camera shy
and slithered slowly away into the adjacent grass.
Perhaps it had only just come out of hibernation
as this occurs in March/April?
Category: reptiles, unusual sightings
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Thursday, January 14th, 2010 | Author: Sheila
The continuing cold weather is making the Reserve more interesting for bird sightings every day. On Wednesday we had:
4 pairs of Gadwalls
I Tufted Duck – female
3 Shovelers -2 males and 1 female
1 pair of Teal
Bullfinches
Large flocks of Siskin
2 Red Kite flew over
Pair of Brambling
Category: birds, unusual sightings
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Friday, January 08th, 2010 | Author: Sheila
What a lovely wintry scene!
The cold weather is bringing in some unusual sightings of dabbling and diving ducks.
Two ‘firsts’ for the Reserve:
Pochard (male)
Tufted duck (female)
And some occasional visitors:
Shoveler (female)
Two pairs of Gadwall
I managed to get some distant shots with my digital camera – but they were terrible.
Otherwise, an excellent day.
Category: birds, first sightings
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Friday, February 20th, 2009 | Author: Sheila
There is now a ‘sightings’ board in
the bird hide so interested parties
can see what wildlife has been
around in recent weeks. Any
comments will then be recorded
into a sightings book. Sorry it is
such a poor photo – the flash
kept going off as it is so dark
in the bird hide! There is also
a small ‘sightings’ blackboard
on the outside of the hide which
doubles up as an announcement
board for events and working
party details.
the bird hide so interested parties
can see what wildlife has been
around in recent weeks. Any
comments will then be recorded
into a sightings book. Sorry it is
such a poor photo – the flash
kept going off as it is so dark
in the bird hide! There is also
a small ‘sightings’ blackboard
on the outside of the hide which
doubles up as an announcement
board for events and working
party details.
Saturday, January 10th, 2009 | Author: Sheila
On a walk around the Reserve in the first week of January, it was lovely to see a pair of Shoveler ducks and two male Teal. The Teal were so timid that they flew away at the slightest disturbance but the Shoveler were slightly less scared. There have never been recorded sightings of these two species on the Reserve before so it is a real treat to see them. We managed to get this poor photo of the male Shoveler. It is possible that these birds arrived here as many other lakes were frozen over and it has driven them to find open water. Strangely, the WWA lake never seems to freeze over when other lakes do. There has also been a Water Rail, a pair of Little Grebes and a Kingfisher about this week.
Category: birds, first sightings
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Wednesday, July 02nd, 2008 | Author: Sheila
Something stirred deep in the swamplands of the WWA – an intruder all the way from the Mississippi (or rather the local pet shop!)……..a female Red-eared Terrapin which had grown to a length of almost 10 inches – now seen captured in one of our yellow trugs. She is safely in the hands of the RSPCA officer (literally) after probably having been released into the Reserve by an irresponsible pet owner. These terrapins were all the rage as pets in the 1990s when the T.V. series ‘Teenage mutant ninja turtles’ was broadcast . But when people bought them they were only tiny. Then they grew…….and grew…and people no longer wanted them as pets. How long she had been living in the ‘Boggy Area’ is unknown – apparently they can hibernate in mud for long periods. She may have surfaced recently as the temperature has risen. Committee member Jack thought he caught a glimpse of her some weeks ago – and he was right!
Category: first sightings, reptiles, unusual sightings
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 | Author: Sheila
New arrival today – a lovely Little Grebe (Dabchick) fishing on the Mere.
Will try and get a photo later and see if it is one of a pair!
Category: birds, first sightings
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