Browse by Tags

A long-staying pectoral sandpiper has been showing rather nicely on the main scrape out in front of the reception building for the best part of three weeks now. And is present at almost exactly the same time as last year ... it would be a nice birthday present if it remained until the 22/23 September...

Its not only Team GB that have enjoyed a record haul of gold this past few weeks. Team Dee Estuary have four golds at the moment in the form of golden headed marsh harriers, not something I have experienced before here. As this excellent picture from Andy Davis shows they can easily be seen from...

Fantastic news for us as our single pair of nesting terns have fledged a chick :) This may not sound that impressive to all of you that have visited the northeast and other tern strongholds but it is only our 2nd ever nest and perhaps more importantly the very 1st time they have fledged, a small step...

If you believe the wading birds then perhaps it is ... or is it? Not many people know this but long distance migrating waders actually start returning to their wintering grounds in June! The evidence is clear here at Burton Mere Wetlands too as several spotted redshanks are present in full summer...

"Congratulations on the birth of your baby avocets" do greetings card companies make such a card? Sometime on Sunday, Burton Mere Wetlands' first ever avocet chicks hatched and instantly begun to steal the show. Three tiny grey, fluffy, long-legged, up-turned-billed chicks are unbelievably...

Pectoral Sandpiper with Lapwing by by K. Scovell In the words of one visitor "Inner Marsh Farm has delivered again" as a quiet Sunday afternoon was rudely disturbed by this small wader feeding amongst the gathered lapwings. It was quickly identified as a pectoral sandpiper ( Calidris...

With the weather taking a turn for the worse birding has become slightly moe difficult as birds take refuge (getting decent pictures has been even tougher!). So as soon as the clouds broke I popped down to the hide where this stunning looking male ruff was waiting to have its picture taken. This...

Hello This time of year is very busy as early morning breediig bird surveys begin as early as 7am! Redshank surveys have started out on the marsh with skylarks, reed bunting, oystercatcher and meadow pipits all recorded displaying over our plots. A volunteer and I had amazing views...

"Wow" is a word often overused but in this case I feel that it is justified as IMF continues its hot-streak of rare birds. A marsh tern provided some brief views and blurry photos but after careful deliberation on Thursday evening it eventually became apparant that we were dealing with a...

After 4 weeks of hard graft a new wetland haven has been created down at IMF. On land adjacent to Burton Mere Fisheries over 5 hectares of abandoned arable land has been transformed into a network of pools, islands, spits and bays perfect for waders and wildfowl such as lapwing, snipe, teal and pintail...

Hi I am currently having a well earned sit down after a strenuous few days. Monday was spent clearing all the sheep off the entire marsh - 9 hours of walking, running and scrambling over ditches was needed to get them all in. We had to double back, wade over to islands, chase them over gutters but...

Our Wildlife Enquiries service gets very busy this time of year from people who have found young birds that appear to be distressed or abandoned - A walk down to the hide may put you in this situation but be assured, as I found out on Friday evening that the parents are never too far behind to look after...

Warblers! The past few weeks have seen dramatic visual changes at IMF as the warm weather (and the odd bout of rain) has transformed the recently dormant vegetation into a vast sea of green. Wading birds slowly acquire their breeding plumage as black-tailed godwit's heads, necks and breast...