Well it's been an exciting day today for sightings, considering this is our "quiet" time of year when it comes to birds! The day started well with a close up view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker on a telegraph pole near the Visitor Centre this morning then it continued to improve with 2 independant Osprey sightings, one visitor reported seeing an Osprey flying high over the reserve at lunchtime whilst our current residential volunteer, Michael spotted the Osprey whilst walking across the merse! We then had a couple coming in last thing to say they'd just had good views of a male Marsh Harrier from the Meida Hide, the second sighting of a Marsh Harrier this week!
It's not all about the birds though, Michael got a great photo of a Common Lizard sunning itself (yes you heard me correctly I said sunning!!) on a log on the merse and the masses of six-spot burnet moths have been delighting visitors too! It's not been a great year for moths, due in the main to the poor weather, but these day flying red and black moths are in abundance on the merse! They particularly seem to like the vetch!
A pair of Siskin are still being seen on the feeders behind the Sulwath Centre as well as the Yellowhammer still being regularly seen feeding there too.
In other news, we have a Textiles and Images Exhibition on this weekend, it's only on until Monday so pop over this weekend to see it! There are photos, paintings and textiles, all locally produced as well as felt making and spinning demonstrations and a sales table. The exhibition is in the Sulwath Centre at Mersehead and runs 10am-4pm over the weekend and on Monday.