Reserve Update Friday 18th August - Kingfisher

 

A Kingfisher has been seen fishing in the Back Pond first thing this morning.  This will be the second sighting of it this week.  Wader and duck numbers are starting to increase around the reserve with 51 Black-tailed Godwit on the Folly Pond first thing and 13 Curlew feeding in the fields in front of the Newfield Hide.  We are also starting to see gatherings of Mute Swans out on the Merse, joined occasionally by Marsh Harrier and Osprey.

If you are venturing around the reserve please be sure to bring your wellies or walking boots.  It has been a wet couple of days and the Avenues are showing the signs of it.

Todays high tide is at 09:48, 8.2m

Around the reserve today:

Wildflowers
Elder flower
Dog Rose
Red Campion
Herb Robert
Common Vetch
Tufted Vetch
Forget-me-not
Mousear
Red Clover
Yellow Rattle

Insects
Peacock Butterfly
Large White Butterfly
Meadow Brown Butterfly
Ringlet Butterfly
Common Blue Butterfly
Small Tortoiseshell
Large Red Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly
Common Darter Dragonfly
Early Bumblebee
Tree Bumblebee
Common Carder Bumblebee
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Beefly
Drinker Moth caterpillar

Mammals
Brown Hare
Weasel - family with 4 young
Roe Deer - with fawns
Fox
Badger
Otter
Soprano Pipistrelle Bat - evening
Wood Mouse

Whooper Pond
Whooper Swan 1
Mallard 49
Grey Heron 1
Moorhen 2

Folly Pond

Mallard 19
Teal 36
Grey Heron 1
Black-tailed Godwit 51
Greylag Geese 21
Moorhen 2
House Martins - 39 nests on Farmhouse Tower (youngsters now flying)

Teal Pond

Swallows nesting in hide
Mallard 15
Moorhen 3 + chick

Avenue Tower
Mallard 18
Teal 164
Mute Swan 2 & cygnet
Little Grebe 1
Grey Heron 1
Brown Hare 1
Roe Deer 2

Saltcot Merse Observatory
Peregrine
Kestrel
Osprey
Buzzard

Swallows
Skylarks
Whooper Swan 1
Linnets - flocks of up to 60
Canada Geese 100+
Greylag Geese 50+
Roe Deer 5
Hebridean Sheep 10
Longhorn Cattle 3

Avenues & Feeders
(notable species)

Reed Bunting
Sparrowhawk
Coal Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Linnet
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Treecreeper
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap

Twitter & Facebook

Follow us on Twitter @WWTCaerlaverock for instant WWT Caerlaverock bird news, wildlife news and upcoming events to your mobile phone or computer. This is a great way to get instant news as we update from our mobile phones as we are finding the birds.

You can also ‘Like’ us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/wwtcaerlaverock.

Osprey Webcam

See live footage of our local Osprey nest here: http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/caerlaverock/experience/ospreys/

The camera is online between 10am and 5pm daily.

rhiannon.hatfield@wwt.org.uk

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