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Originally Posted by pheonix Wat Tyler Country Park - Ive been doing some work there recently, and likely to revisit throught the season. At the moment we're doing Great Crested Newt surveys near by.
I would like to go to the hides but always run out of time, had a quick walk around the park a couple of weeks ago and seemed really good for a variety of birds.
if i go when would be the best time? does it depend on tides? what are the typical things you see? and do you ever get harriers or eared owls, etc?? |
Hi pheonix
The hides offer an excellent outlook over Pitseahall Fleet and the scrape but they are locked and you need to borrow or purchase a key for a one-off fee from the visitor centre (a result of past vandalism
). The visitor centre also has a latest sightings board.
Pitseahall Fleet and the scrape are non-tidal and very good for birds all the year round but Vange Creek is tidal and is at its best at low tide when all that squidgy mud is exposed for waders.
Apart from the waders, ducks, geese, gulls, etc., a wide variety of birds can be seen around Wat Tyler Country Park, particularly in the spring and summer months when all the warblers and hirundines return
.... but get there early before the packs of screaming children and barking dogs turn up and send all the wildlife and wildlife watchers in to hiding
!
I have seen Marsh Harrier but not Short-eared Owl although I would not be surprised if the latter has been reported in the winter months. Peregrine (winter) and Hobby (summer) are also appearing more regularly now.
I have recorded over 90 different species but the site list must be much longer. There are increasing reports of uncommon and rarer birds, probably due to the increased observer coverage.
Sightings are reported
here (including some of my own
) and in recent weeks a
webcam has been installed.
I hope this helps.
Richard