Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve
An S.S.S.I. Managed by Woolston Eyes Conservation Group
Woolston Eyes Monthly Sightings
2026-02-11
The last week has seen a fair amount of rain, though, with the sun breaking through by mid-morning yesterday it felt like Spring wasn’t too far away. Last Wednesday saw at least 25,000 Starlings still present at the No.3 bed roost, which has been attracting a few hunting raptors. The Barn Owl which was flushed from near the No.3 bed Footbridge on Saturday morning was no doubt brought in by the easy pickings available at the roost. On No.4 bed gulls and Lapwings have started to build up, with the Lapwing flock reaching 1,000 on Saturday, with the nice surprise of five Golden Plovers picked out among them when they were flushed. On the same day, over 300 Black-headed Gulls were present, which are likely to be returning breeding birds. After several disastrous breeding seasons, due to an unholy mix of Avian Flu, Mink predation and human disturbance, we are hopeful that the protective steps we’ve taken about the latter two will lead to a resurgence - unfortunately the impact of Avian Flu is in the lap of the gods. With yesterday’s sunshine there were plenty of birds in song, with Cetti’s Warblers, Willow Tits, Song Thrushes, Robins and Great Tits all adding to the morning’s soundscape. Photo of displaying Mute Swans Cheers David Bowman
Submitted by: David Bowman