Saturday, 28th June 2014. 12:00 - 16:00 hrs.

United Utilities Hide:
Male Ruff with diminishing breeding plumage
Reed Bunting
Avocet x 1
Black Tailed Godwit x 1
Shelducks
Lapwing
Black Backed Gull

Cuckoo calling in trees to west of reserve

Janet Kear Hide:
Tree Sparrow
Goldfinch
Great Tit and young
Blue Tit
Greenfinch
Chaffinch

Ron Barker Hide:
Whooper Swans
Avocet x loads
Black Tailed Godwits x load
Shelducks
Heron
Black Headed gulls and young x lots all over reserve

Whooper Swans with cygnets and Bewick Swans just in front of visitor centre

Couple of hours this afternoon overall fairly quiet although highlights
Wood Sandpiper (United Utilities)
Sedge Warbler
4 Ringed Plover
Avocet with 3 young
Redshank with 4 young
Tawny Owl called twice from nr Kingfisher hide.
Wigeon
Plus the usuals

Went there for 11am today. Very quiet people-wise Good but also birdwise BUT sudden excitement as a Redstart was found from the Janet Kear hide. A presumably first summer male as it exhibited little grey having a reddish brown mantle and only a little grey around the throat. A super site rarity and the last place I expected to get my first of the year. 2nd summer French-ringed Mediterranean Gull bossing it about over the Black-Headed Gulls on the mere

A quick turnaround while I part ex'd my scope for a new MM3.

Little Gull at the back of the main mere. Had been there most of the day and was pointed out to me by the guy in the In Focus shop. Thanks!

Popped back in later to pick up my box and was told I'd just missed a Yellow Wagtail with several White Wagtail. Also had 17 Dunlin from Ron Barker and about 40 Black-tailed Godwit

Swanlink Hide

1 Ross's Goose
11 Whooper Swan
5 Ruff (1 breeding plumage male)
2 Ringed Plover
5 Black-tailed Godwit

Ross's Goose still there today.

There's a Siberian Chiffchaff on the Reedbed Walk near the sewage works (this is not within the reserve) although it's a bit elusive. At least a couple of Common Chiffchaff around to confuse matters.

Upwards of 40 Avocet from Ron Barker hide. Lots of Ruff, including 1 white headed one which I seem to remember are called sentinels and hold quite a high position at the lek. I may have made the bit up about the lek. Male Hen Harrier from the UU hide but it was very distant. Otherwise just about everything else your expect at this time of year.

-- Edited by Craig Higson on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 06:58:35 PM

Lovely early morning light today, from 0930 until the half term hordes arrived when I decamped for Hesketh Out Marsh.

Whooper Swan ++++
Greylag geese ++++

Also numerous
Lapwing
Pintail
Wigeon
Shelduck
24 Ruff (first time I've been up close to these waders)
Teal
Mallard
2 Gadwall
1 Ringed Plover

Some Pink-footed geese (but many more later at H-o-M)
Oystercatchers
Stock Doves
Tree Sparrows

plus Wrens in good voice, plenty of Robin, Blackbirds, Woodpigeon, corvids, etc.

hi Gordon,

Thanks for the info ref Bewick's Swan - hope I haven't misled anyone !

Fortunately we were lucky enough to see the "wild one" where you indicated on Jan 17th when we joined.
We'd presumed (dangerous) it had re-located due to bullying.

Newbie's first posting

Fri 7 Feb 11:15 to 16:00 Visit with buddy Tom Jones, enjoyed very bright sunshine in the afternoon
44 species

4 buzzards flying above adjacent woods, and one on fencepost.
Large numbers (100's) of Whooper Swans, Lapwing.
Good numbers of Teal, Pintail, Shelduck, Greylag and Pink-footed Geese and Ruff.
Feeders at Janet Kear were busy with Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch,
and Reed Bunting and Tree Sparrow on feeders elsewhere.
Bewick's Swan on Swan Lake near café.

Whooper Swan at Swanlink hide, appeared in distress with neck caught behind wing; wader-clad warden tackled the problem, and swan left the scene
looking very sorry for itself - hope it recovers well

Sparrowhawk rose over the road from field east of reserve when we were leaving.

10.30-5pm. 60 species seen.

1 bewicks swan showing very well in front of swan link hide amongst the 1000+ whoopers
tawny owl near kingfisher hide
3-4 buzzards, no other raptors seen by myself but another birder had a male hen harrier earlier.
1 stonechat, united utilities hide
2 oystercatchers
plenty of ruff scattered around
thousands of lapwings & pink footed geese around, thought I may of had a white fronted goose but it was getting dark
plenty of birds around the feeders inc reed buntings & tree sparrows
several snipe flying around at dusk.
plus all usual stuff around.

just outside reserve a nice large flock of mostly corn buntings with few yellowhammers, 200+ fieldfares, 2 red legged partridges.
good day out & nice to meet & speak to sarfraz hayat, glad you eventually got the bewicks swan

Sat Jan 4th 10.00- 13.00 quiet people wise but good numbers of birds, highlight being

Peregrine Falcon

2 Tawny Owls at roost

Marsh Harrier

4 Buzzards

60+ Ruff

Little Egret

8 snipe

13 Tree Sparrow

Little Grebe

Barn Owl hunting along Red Cat Lane as we left

 

plus good numbers of usual wildfowl 

Sunday 17th November 9.30-13.00

A good mornings birding at a damp and murky Martin Mere. Highlights included:

3 Peregrine Falcons all lined up on fence posts
2 Marsh Harriers
1 Tree Sparrow on feeders
Whooper Swans
Pintails
1 Snipe
6 Ruff
Lots of Teal and Lapwings
Plus the usuals.

Yet again the curse of Internet rumours, misinformation and knee-jerk reactions comes to the fore and I have to admit to feeling that WWT had a perfectly reasonable explanation for it all but I sincerely thank them for coming in here and clearing it all up. Hopefully it also comes as a reminder to ensure as much as feasibly possible , that any information posted on this forum is factually correct.

And now it's all cleared up; on with the bird sightings

Dear All,

My attention has been drawn to this site by one of our volunteers and I notice that several of you have already sent e-mails to Martin Mere on the issue of our new closing times. Some of the comments on this forum are erroneous but in this world of rapid communication tools such as forums, facebook and twitter it is not surprising to see chinese whispers getting a little out of hand. I have responded to all five complaints that have been received at Martin Mere over this issue and will always respond to inquiries (the nature of the job means that sometimes it may take a few days). So, in the interests of fairness could I please ask that if any of you ever have any issue with anything that we do at Martin Mere, please contact us formally before posting erroneous information. I don't think it helps anybody when members post forum comments that accuse me or any other staff of "charging anyone who gets locked in £50 for him to come out and open the gates", which as you will read below is untrue.

I will explain below why we have made our decisions and I apologise to those of you who have already read this as part of my individual repsonses to you but I see there are other members of this forum who would probably like to know the full facts of the situation.

We have decided that this winter we will close at 4.30pm for a number of reasons. This has been an operational decision that has been taken with a great deal of thought, research and reference to all the different departments at Martin Mere and consultation with other centres across the UK.

1. In previous years, throughout the winter, the numbers of visitors cars on the car park after 4.30pm has been extremely low, if any at all. This October we actually monitored numbers and, during week days especially, there were sometimes no visitors left after 5.30pm. Due to the clocks going back, 5.30 has become 4.30 and it is getting dark at this time. In short, the figures show that there is not enough demand to keep the site open, in winter, after 4.30pm.

2. Looking at data from the previous winter, there was little, if any, activity in the shop or cafe after 4pm. These operations were running at a loss and so it has been decided that it would be best to close them at 4.30pm.

3. Unfortunately, in recent years, working practices at Martin Mere have not moved with the relevant legislation. We now have to operate with respect to lone working legislation, which means that we are unable to keep the site open with just one member of staff remaining on site. Lone working, after dark, on a site like ours, is bad enough for big men such as myself, but some of our duty managers are women (and in one case a pregnant woman) and it is unacceptable to have them wandering around, in the dark, locking up. This means we now have to keep two members of staff on duty to lock up. When you consider points one and two, the overwhelming majority of days would see us having a staff to visitor ratio of 100% or greater, which any organisation could not justify.

4. I would love to be able to keep the barriers open and let birders make their own way to and fro but it has been reported to me that experience in the past has shown that the car park is abused by other people indulging in anti-social activities.

On the other question of paying £50 if you are locked in; this has not been decided and will not take immediate effect. Again, due to legislation, we cannot allow a single member of staff to return to work to let somebody out of the car park, who has stayed past the closing time. As a result, we are about to employ a keyholding company to attend to such situations. It is an individual's responsibility to abide by opening and closing times and so we would hope that no birdwatchers would ever find themselves in such a position. However, in such an event, it will now cost WWT the best part of £50 for the keyholding company to let somebody out and I am sure that our membership would not want their subscriptions being used to pay for this, as it would be nobody else's fault but that of the individual locked in. For the sake of our membership, we would therefore be looking, in the future, to recoup at least some, if not all, of that cost, which I do not think is unreasonable. We would not and have never charged anybody, if it was just a member of staff that was required to return but this option is no longer available.

Having said the above, I have had a small number of complaints this week and, as a birder myself, there is nothing I'd rather not do than prevent people from observing our wildlife. I visited the hides last night and, although the big groups of geese departed for Norfolk before the clocks went back, a large group of about around 1000 birds came in at 4.50pm. A second, smaller group came in at 5pm. Swans were coming in, in drabs and drabs, from 3.30pm on. Nothing happened after 5pm and by 4.45pm it was pretty much dark anyway. Obviously, as we move through the winter, the times of geese flying in to roost and the deteriorating light will become earlier. Our warden has told me that may times during the winter, the main body of geese comes in between 3.30pm and 4pm, while he is doing his swan talk in the hides.

Taking all the above into account, we have to run the site balancing legislation, security and finances with demand for particular activities, at particular times. As a result, we will continue to close the site at 4.30pm. However, from Monday, we will now allow the car park barriers to remain open until 5pm and this should enable visitors to see the geese coming in on the overwhelming majority of winter evenings. After this time, we would have to pay extra wages for two staff to stay on late. This extra expense is roughly the equivalent of one membership and, for many winter days, that membership would be spent allowing just one visitor (if any) to stay late, when it is dark and there is nothing more to see. I'm sure our members would not want us to spend an entire membership for this purpose.

I hope you can understand and appreciate why these decisions have been made, that they have been made very carefully and also that we have now responded to a small number of comments to find a way mutually acceptable way forward.

Nick Brooks

simon ghilks wrote:

---

Come on chaps Mike said it "the reserves all about the geese and swans". Surely its more important to know that wildlife is there than actually seeing it. Our subscriptions are crucial for providing a safe habitat and refuge for wildlife to thrive so that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren etc. will have the opportunity to witness these amazing animals.

---

Simon

You make a very valid point which I wouldn't disagree with.

However there are a lot of, in my view, equally important conservation organisations - RSPB, BTO, Birdlife International, Lancashire Wildlife Trust to name just a few.

I simply can't afford to be a member of all of them. My decision as to which I support is going to be, at least partly, influenced by things like opening times of reserves and how that affects my ability to visit the reserves.

Cheers,

Phil

After reading the discussion regarding Martin Mere's new "throwing out time" I too, sent an email to WWT HQ.

This was Tuesday - I haven't had a reply. I was wondering if anyone who sent an email to WWT has had one.

I'm a bit surprised that they wouldn't bother replying to a WWT member who's unsure whether renew their membership or not.

Cheers,

Phil

Come on chaps Mike said it "the reserves all about the geese and swans". Surely its more important to know that wildlife is there than actually seeing it. Our subscriptions are crucial for providing a safe habitat and refuge for wildlife to thrive so that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren etc. will have the opportunity to witness these amazing animals.

Ivan Ellison wrote:

---

Anyone visiting during the winter , be aware that the place now shuts at 1630hrs. Manager was locking the car park gates at this time. there is talk of him looking at charging anyone who gets locked in £50 for him to come out and open the gates. Think it appalling that they should lock up so early when this is the best time to visit in winter to see the 1,000's of geese coming into roost. Send complaints to WWT head office to see if they will change his decision or introduce a car exit that is not locked/automatic opening .

---

Ivan
Many thanks for posting this, I may have been caught out at weekend!

I will write to them today and see what response I get, if it negative then I'll cancel my membership as its used for this reserve primarily. This means I;d never visit again as the daily entrance fees are extortionate.

STOP PRESS - enquiry sent, if this is permanent then I will very shortly be an ex member, sad after many years but that is the only way I can express my feelings about this change.

Its seems that the primary objective of some reserves is the maximisation of generated income from shops and cafes and the birds are secondary. I'm amazed that another reserve, to be nameless otherwise a protracted debate will ensue, has closed a car parking area which held c.20 cars. The other car park is continually full.

Phil

-- Edited by Phil Hampson on Tuesday 5th of November 2013 07:23:38 AM

-- Edited by Phil Hampson on Tuesday 5th of November 2013 07:39:08 AM

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Ivan Ellison wrote:

---

Anyone visiting during the winter , be aware that the place now shuts at 1630hrs. Manager was locking the car park gates at this time. there is talk of him looking at charging anyone who gets locked in £50 for him to come out and open the gates. Think it appalling that they should lock up so early when this is the best time to visit in winter to see the 1,000's of geese coming into roost. Send complaints to WWT head office to see if they will change his decision or introduce a car exit that is not locked/automatic opening .

---

I agree Ivan, its a real shame that as many people have always stopped beyond closing, and you could stay up to 6pm as long as you let yourself out, but for them to lock the car park at 4.30pm,seems to smack of get as many in as possible ,feed the birds then throw you out. I have always thought the 9.30 opening at the morning is a bad joke, but to get you off that car park at 4.30,seems madness as the best sights at the Mere is the Geese and swans coming in at Dusk. Another good place bites the dust for me, if that's the case.

---

I have already sent my complaint in to WWT HQ, lets see what they say.

Anyone visiting during the winter , be aware that the place now shuts at 1630hrs. Manager was locking the car park gates at this time. there is talk of him looking at charging anyone who gets locked in £50 for him to come out and open the gates. Think it appalling that they should lock up so early when this is the best time to visit in winter to see the 1,000's of geese coming into roost. Send complaints to WWT head office to see if they will change his decision or introduce a car exit that is not locked/automatic opening .

thought I would be a crazy fool & try my luck in the wind & rain, glad I did. 11-4.30pm 52 species seen

ron barker hide

1 little stint
2 curlew sandpipers
4 dunlin
20+ ruff
1 possibly little ringed plover
2 snipe, several more flying around

main mere

1 imm/fem garganey, andy bunting put me onto it, later on at harrier hide what looked like another with a more prominent white through the eye,
4 avocets
3 snipe

2 marsh harriers
5 little grebes
no signs off the pink footed geese, but 6 resident ones with the greylags & Canada geese at ron barker hide, but 3 at harrier hide which did later fly off south.
plenty of teal, wigeon & gadwall,
1 pintail, hale hide
5 red legged partridges outside of reserve.

10-6pm

1 yellow wagtail & 12 corn buntings seen in fields opposite reed bed walk on the way into reserve.

1 juvenile cuckoo on way to harrier hide sitting on the perimeter fence

harrier hide..

1 green sandpiper
1 little egret
1 oystercatcher
1 pochard
2 tufted duck
4 gadwall
2 little grebes
1 kestrel
2 wigeon
60+ lapwings

ron barker hide..

1 greenshank, flew in around 3pm on vinsons did not stay long & flew off high 15 mins later.
1 ruff
2 black tailed godwits
2 pintails possibly more

other birds around..

at least 6 buzzards
2-3 marsh harriers
1 sparrowhawk
3 oystercatchers
2 great spotted woodpeckers
2 blackcaps
1 chiffchaff
1 whitethroat
2 reed buntings
plus usuals around.

1 hare
1 stoat climbing trees at kingfisher hide


-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 10th of August 2013 10:30:12 PM

Firstly, thanks to everyone's help re' access arrangements. I went today and there was no sign of the bluethroat between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. As it transpired I only had a tenner on me (£11 odd - I nearly passed out) so was forced to take the public footpath. This actually worked a treat and brought me very close to the viewing area. The only real birds of note were a cuckoo and a corn bunting. I got very rained on too.

Thanks again, Chris