WWT Martin Mere 24th January 2016
I wanted to add to my 2016 list by going to Martin Mere where I was guaranteed to get Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Geese and Marsh Harrier. An additional advantage was that we managed to get a, very obscured, view of one of the roosting Tawny Owls and a bonus Ross’s Goose from the Rains Observatory. On the minus side, we didn’t see the Barn Owl that had been showing very well from the Ron Barker Hide recently and it was probably the busiest day ever. With the expansion of the playground and the new heated hide near the shop, Martin Mere is staring to become more of a theme park and petting zoo than a nature reserve as is usually understood. No doubt they will say that raising the interest of young people and fund raising are crucial to their conservation aims but they would say that wouldn’t they ?
I will never go there again on a weekend, the reorganised cafe was even more chaotic than it used to be and even pushcharis were making it to the Ron Barker Hide ! The hides, in general, were also rammed and it was hard to get a bit of space to sit down in some of them.
Be that as it may, we did what we could to enjoy ourselves and keep away from the mayhem. It did help me add to my year list, however, and, apart from the above mentioned birds, I was also able to add Tree Sparrow and Ruff.
Bird Sightings : Martin Mere : Environs
| Species |
Count |
| Common Pheasant |
2 |
| Tawny Owl |
1 |
| European Robin |
3 |
| Common Chaffinch |
8 |
| European Greenfinch |
4 |
| European Goldfinch |
6 |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow |
6 |
Bird Sightings : Martin Mere : Ron Barker Hide
| Species |
Count |
| Pink-footed Goose |
100 |
| Greylag Goose |
30 |
| Whooper Swan |
10 |
| Common Shelduck |
60 |
| Eurasian Wigeon |
80 |
| Northern Shoveler |
4 |
| Common Teal |
100 |
| Eurasian Marsh Harrier |
1 |
| Northern Lapwing |
100 |
Bird Sightings : Martin Mere : Raines Observatory Hide
| Species |
Count |
| Ross’s Goose |
1 |
| Whooper Swan |
100 |
| Common Shelduck |
40 |
| Eurasian Wigeon |
60 |
| Northern Pintail |
4 |
| Common Teal |
80 |
| Common Pochard |
20 |
| Great Cormorant |
6 |
| Common Coot |
10 |
| Northern Lapwing |
200 |
| Ruff |
10 |
| Common Starling |
100 |
Bird Sightings : Martin Mere : Janet Kear Hide
| Species |
Count |
| Common Pheasant |
4 |
| Common Moorhen |
1 |
| Common Coot |
2 |
| Great Tit |
2 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit |
4 |
| Long-tailed Tit |
2 |
| European Robin |
1 |
| Eurasian Blackbird |
2 |
| Dunnock |
1 |
| Reed Bunting |
10 |
| Common Chaffinch |
10 |
| European Greenfinch |
6 |
| European Goldfinch |
6 |
Bird Sightings : Martin Mere : United Utilities Hide
| Species |
Count |
| Pink-footed Goose |
40 |
| Greylag Goose |
10 |
| Common Shelduck |
30 |
| Eurasian Wigeon |
100 |
| Common Teal |
100 |
| Northern Lapwing |
800 |
| Black-headed Gull |
30 |
Bird Sightings : Martin Mere : Harrier Hide
| Species |
Count |
| Common Shelduck |
100 |
| Gadwall |
1 |
| Eurasian Wigeon |
50 |
| Common Pochard |
20 |
| Tufted Duck |
30 |
| Great Cormorant |
1 |
| Grey Heron |
1 |
| Common Coot |
8 |
| Northern Lapwing |
200 |
| Black-headed Gull |
50 |
