Bird activity is changing too, and although some birds are still feeding late broods - there is currently a family of Common Whitethroats, with at least 3 fully fledged youngsters feeding very actively beside the Lookout - others are already starting to drift away towards their wintering areas.

It's an exciting time with lots of birds moving through, and the possibility of something exciting turning up increases with every day. Over the past week, 3 Tree Sparrows were seen near the car park after being absent from the reserve for the past couple of years.

An Osprey visited briefly on Monday morning, but stayed only long enough to catch a fish at Brockholes before moving on.

A group of Shelducks (9 juveniles accompanied by 2 adults) dropped on to No.1 pit today (Wednesday) and remained, mostly sleeping, throughout the day.

The 2 Great Crested Grebe chicks are still on No.1 pit, but they are now almost as big as their parents, both of which are still giving their full attention to their offspring.

Foxes are being seen fairly regularly at the moment - this one trotted across in front of the Lookout to the delight of those lucky enough to be there at the right time. Its striking pure white tail tip makes this individual stand out from others recorded in the immediate area.