Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve
An S.S.S.I. Managed by Woolston Eyes Conservation Group
Woolston Eyes Monthly Sightings
2025-08-12
I’ve been so busy since returning from our Woolston Eyes trip to Kenya that I’ve not had time to post anything about events on the Reserve, so this is a quick catch up. Recent sightings of Tree Sparrow and Curlew Sandpiper, both very scarce visitors, has brought our year-list up to a creditable 151 species. Saturday’s WeBS count totalled 2,505 wetland birds of 27 species, which is decent for the time of year, particularly given the continued dry conditions. During the count I managed to photograph a Cormorant, which had been colour-ringed by Kieran Foster at Hale Duck Decoy on 24th June 2023 and has since been recorded visiting Pennington Flash, Silver Lane Pools and most recently, Hoylake on 25th June this year. This morning on No.4 bed the initially overcast conditions produced some movement, with Tree Pipit flying over, two Yellowhammers dropping in by the platform and eight Little Egrets moving between the Loop and the east cell, a high count for us. Out on the mud, a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover, two Green Sandpipers and seven Snipe were feeding. You could feel the prospect of summer’s end, though, with the last juvenile Black-necked Grebe and just a dozen or so Swifts still present
Photo of a Sparrowhawk
Cheers David Bowman (with Dan Owen)
Submitted by: David Bowman