News

Tuesday 16th June 2026

8 Ringed plovers, a Little ringed plover chick & new Mediterranean gull chick were on East Holm,
11 Common terns & a Pochard brood on Crossland's lake,
The Great white egret & 2 juveniles Bearded tits were in the Reed-bed,
Also seen were 6 Gadwall broods, Little grebe & 2 chicks (Reed-bed) & Red kite,
Dragonflies - Blue-tailed damselfly


Juvenile Bearded tit on the Reed-bed
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/16/2026 4:47:25 PM

Monday 15th June 2026

2 Ringed plovers were on East Holm,
2 juvenile Oystercatchers on Cell 'A',
The Great white egret was again on the Reed-bed,
Also seen was Cuckoo (adult & juvenile), Pink-footed goose (Crossland's lake), 2 adult Eygptian geese (as well as the 'Family'),Tufted duck & duckling (West Holm),  Barn owl (hunting Dryham Ings in the morning) & Water rail (Village lake),
Butterflies - Painted lady, Meadow brown, Large white, Peacock & Common blue,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Garden, Red-tailed, Tree bumblebees & Barbut's cuckoo bee
Dragonflies - Emperor dragonfly, 4 Spot chaser, Black-tailed skimmer, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Song thrush by Crossland's hide
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/15/2026 5:17:05 PM

Sunday 14th June 2026

The Ringed plover was still on East Holm this morning,
Again the Great white egret was on either the Reed-bed or Far lake,
By the Silt pond, the juvenile Cuckoo was seen being fed by Chiffchaffs, with an adult also seen,
Also seen was Bearded tit, Bittern (Reed-bed), Barn owl (morning in the New workings), Red kite, Hobby, Marsh harrier & 2 Eygptian geese (Crossland's lake),
Butterflies - Painted lady, Red admiral & Small tortoiseshell
Bumblebees - Common carder, Garden & Red-tailed bumblebees,
Dragonflies - Emperor & Hairy dragonflies, 4 Spot Chaser, Black-tailed skimmer, Common darter, Azure, Blue-tailed , Common blue & Variable damselflies


Skylark in the New workings
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/14/2026 5:58:32 PM

Saturday 13th June 2026

An 'hybrid' Ruddy shelduck was on the Village lake, along with 8 Eygptian geese, the pair with 2 goslings were seen elsewhere,
A single Ringed plover was seen on both East & West Holms,
The Great white egret was seen on Crossland's & Far lakes, plus the Reed-bed,
Also seen in the New workings in the morning were Barn owl & Cuckoo
The Pochard family of now 6 ducklings on the Reed-bed, Marsh harrier & Red kite were present


Great white egret & breakfast on the Reed-bed
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/13/2026 3:59:36 PM

Friday 12th June 2026

The Corn bunting was singing in the New workings,
A Pink-footed goose was on Crossland's lake in amongst the Greylags, with a new family of 9 Shelduck ducklings on East Holm,
The Great white egret roosted & commuted between the Reed-bed & Far lake,
The male Cuckoo was calling by the Far lake & the juvenile was seen by the Silt pond
The 1st Tufted ducklings on the year (2) were on the Reed-bed, with Bittern seen flying there & Red kite over,
Butterflies - Red admiral, Holly blue
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early, Garden, Red & White-tailed & Tree bumblebees
Dragonflies - Emperor, Black-tailed skimmer, 4 Spot chaser, Red-veined darter, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Adult Mediterranean gull with 2 chicks on East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/12/2026 4:38:47 PM

Thursday 11th June 2026

The Great white egret was seen on the Reed-bed & Far lake,
A Peregrine flew south over West Holm, with 2 Ringed plovers still on East Holm, 
Also seen, Red kite & 3 Eygptian geese (Village lake), plus a single on West Holm,
Butterflies - Painted lady,
Bumblebees - Common carder & Tree bumblebees


Great crested grebe on East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/11/2026 5:15:15 PM

Wednesday 10th May 2026

A Common crane circled to the west of the reserve for several minutes, before heading off west,
2 Ringed plovers were on East Holm,
The juvenile Cuckoo was again near the Silt pond,
3 Avocet chicks (New workings & Silt pond), 2 Juvenile Oystercatchers (East Holm), 2 more Gadwall families (Crossland's lake & East Holm) & 23 Shelduck ducklings counted, 
Also, Singing Corn bunting (New workings), at east 3 juvenile Bearded tits in Cell 'C', Calling Cuckoo (Far lake), 3 Eygptian geese (Village lake), Great white egret (Reed-bed & Far lake), Marsh harrier & Red kite
Butterflies - Painted lady,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early & Garden bumblebees
Dragonflies - Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Stock dove by the Silt pond
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/10/2026 4:56:55 PM

Tuesday 9th June 2026

4 Ringed plovers were on East Holm in the morning,
A Whitethroat was feeding a juvenile Cuckoo by the Silt pond,
Still on the Reed-bed, was the Great white egret, with 8 Little egrets counted,
Also seen was Barn owl (morning in New workings), Marsh harrier & another brood of 10 Gadwall ducklings on the Reed-bed,
Butterflies - Painted lady
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early & Garden bumblebees
Dragonflies - Common blue damselfly


Grey heron on the Reed-bed
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/9/2026 5:25:12 PM

Monday 8th June 2026

A Hobby flew south over East Holm,
Yesterday's Great white egret was on the Reed-bed, with the Cuckoo nearby in the Far lake trees,
Also seen Red kite (over the Island lake), 4 Barn owls (evening, 3 Maize field & 1 by Crosslands), Eygptian goose (Village lake), 10 Shelduck ducklings (East Holm) & 2 Avocet chicks on the Silt pond,
Butterflies - Red admiral, Brimstone, Painted lady
Dragonflies - Emperor & Hairy dragonflies, 4 Spot chasers, Common & Blue-tailed damselflies


Common tern after washing on East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/8/2026 5:19:08 PM

Sunday 7th June 2026

In the morning, an Arctic tern was on West Holm, with a Great white egret being seen on the Reed-bed & then going to roost on the Far lake,
The 8 Pochard ducklings were seen on the Reed-bed, with 10 Gadwall ducklings on West Holm,
Also seen was Red kite,
Butterflies - 8 Painted lady, 2 Red admiral, single Peacock, Large skipper, Speckled wood, Common & Holly blue, Brimstone, Large white,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Garden & Tree bumblebees,
Dragonflies - Emperor & Hairy dragonflies, 4 Spot chaser, Black-tailed skimmer, Red-veined darter, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Great white egret on the Far lake
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/7/2026 5:47:23 PM

Saturday 6th June 2026

A Peregrine was over East Holm, with the Bittern seen on the Reed-bed,
5 Shelduck ducklings were on East Holm, with 2 Avocet chicks still on the Silt pond, 8 Pochard & 10 Gadwall ducklings  all on the Reed-bed,
A total of 11 Mute swan cygnets are on the reserve (6 on the Silt pond, 3 on the Island lake & 2 on the Main lake)
Bumblebees - Tree bumblebee
Butterflies - Common blue


Great crested grebe flying over East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/6/2026 5:07:01 PM

Friday 5th June 2026

Hobbies were seen over Crossland's lake, 2 Red kites over the Maize field & Barn owl in the 'Oak' avenue,
13 Canada geese flew west from the Silt pond,
Only 6 Mute swan cygnets on the Silt pond, with 2 Avocet chicks there, 2 Mediterranean gull chicks on East Holm & 8 Pochard ducklings on the Reed-bed, with another 8 on the Far lake,
Also seen Tawny owl, 2 barn owls (evenig)2 Red kites (over Maize field) & Bittern (Crossland's lake)
Butterflies - 18 Painted lady, 4 Large skipper, 2 Red admirals, single Small tortoiseshell, Large white, Common & Holly blues,
Bumblebees - Common carder, Early, Garden, Red & White-tailed bumblebees,
Dragonflies - Emperor dragonfly, 4 Spot chaser, Black-tailed skimmer, Hairy dragonfly, Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Mediterranean gulls, adult & chicks
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/5/2026 3:51:39 PM

Thursday 4th June 2026

On East Holm, there were 2 Shelduck families (3 & 5 ducklings), the Oystercatcher chick on West Holm, Lapwing chick in Cell 'A' & 8 Pochard ducklings on the Reed-bed,
Also seen, 50+ Swifts over the reserve, Cuckoo (Far lake), Marsh harrier & Red kite,
Bumblebees - Buff-tailed, Common carder, Early, Garden, Red-tailed & Tree bumblebees,
Butterflies - Painted lady
Dragonflies - Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Female Pochard & 8 ducklings on the Reed-bed
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/4/2026 4:36:20 PM

Wednesday 3rd June 2026

A Corn bunting was singing in the New workings,
A new Shelduck family of 8 ducklings was on West Holm, with an older group of 6 on East Holm,
The 2 Lapwing chicks were still in Cell 'A', 2 Avocet chicks on the Silt pond, with the 8 Pochard ducklings seen on the Reed-bed,
Also seen was Bittern (Silt pond)
Butterflies - Speckled wood, Painted lady & Large skipper,
Dragonflies - Azure, Blue-tailed & Common blue damselflies


Courting Common terns on East Holm
Posted By: BJNcw on 6/3/2026 4:45:08 PM