17 January 2022

Weather: Clear skies and calm. Fenmere is still frozen, with some ice fringing Ringmere, but none on Langmere. 

Disturbance: None

Sightings from Ringmere:

Shelduck (3)

Shoveler (1)

Gadwall (7)

Mallard (2)

Teal (105)

Tufted Duck (4)

Coot (17)

Little Grebe (1)

 

Sightings from Fenmere:

Moorhen (1)

Water Rail (1)

The best sighting of today was refinding the Water Rail at Fenmere. It was feeding along the far edge of the pond, mainly in the sunlit areas, but would quickly disappear in the vegetation at times. 

If you are intending to look for this bird, it is worth being aware that there is no cover on the near edge of Fenmere. This makes it very easy to flush any birds on the pond so it is a good idea to walk up slowly to the now dilapidated platform.

Water Rail at Fenmere

Water Rail at Fenmere

Sightings from Langmere:

Greylag Goose (26)

Mute Swan (6)

Egyptian Goose (2)

Shoveler (19)

Gadwall (33)

Wigeon (1 - drake)

Mallard (27)

Teal (44)

Hybrid goose (1 - Canada x Greylag Goose)

Moorhen (19)

Coot (50)

Black-headed Gull (84)

Herring Gull (1)

Yellow-legged Gull (1 - adult)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (84)

Only a small gull roost this evening, with most of the gulls having left by 1530. Otherwise very little change in the numbers and diversity of species here in the last few days.

Oddity of the day was this Lesser Black-backed Gull with a blue ring on the right tibia, not something I had seen before. If it is a bird from this ringing project in the Netherlands (https://cr-birding.org/node/1174), it seems the positioning of the colour ring was chosen to help with ring reading at the nesting site. Unfortunately it was too far away to read the code.

Rest of the reserve:

Woodpigeon

Sparrowhawk (1)

Tawny Owl (1 - calling at dusk)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)

Green Woodpecker (1)

Jay

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Goldcrest

Wren

Mistle Thrush (1)

Redwing

Blackbird

Robin

Pied Wagtail

Linnet

Siskin

Rabbit

The Sparrowhawk was seen flying over Ringmere and attempting (successfully?) at taking a bird from a tit flock in the surrounding scrub.