Wildlife sightings for 12th June 2012
1 Kestrel - hunting over reserve 1 Buzzard - over reserve 2 Avocet - main lake 11 Common Tern + 2 chicks - main lake c.90 Swift - site count 35+ Sand Martin - site count [...]
1 Kestrel - hunting over reserve
1 Buzzard - over reserve
2 Avocet - main lake
11 Common Tern + 2 chicks - main lake
c.90 Swift - site count
35+ Sand Martin - site count
Recent bird highlights: Buzzard, Hobby, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail and Swallow.
Lapwing are nesting on the main lake/scrape shingle islands, keeping their territory by performing exciting territorial flight displays. Listen out for their loud ‘pee-wit’ calls in flight. The marsh water level is lower now to leave small pools of water where waders like Lapwing can feed themselves and any chicks they have with them. Also look out for Yellow Wagtail on the marsh.
Redshank are breeding in small numbers out on the marsh, hidden amongst tussocks of vegetation. The adults can be seen coming out to feed on the channel edges or flying across to the wader scrape mud.
The scrape is drained and wetted on a weekly basis to attract feeding waders. Irregular waders of most species may turn up at any time this month so keep looking out for them. Also on the scrape the Sand Martins are nesting in the artificial bank. Watch them flying in and out as well as feeding over the muddy pools for insects.
Look to the skies on clear, warm days for soaring raptors like Buzzard. Often alarm calls from the Gull flocks or Crows mean that there’s a bird of prey high above somewhere.
There are 3 Mute Swan broods to be found, Pochard are nesting in the main reedbeds, Mallard have a few families across the reserve and there’s 1 Little Grebe brood in the middle reedbed channel.
Flowering plants: Cuckooflower, Mallow, Marsh Woundwort, Cow Parsley, Field Scabious, Wood Anemone, Ramsons, Common Mouse-ear, Field Wood-rush, Marsh Marigold, Red Dead-nettle, Oxford Ragwort, Tufted Vetch, Common Vetch, Bluebell, Ragged Robin, Buttercup, Salad Burnet, Herb Robert, Yellow Flag.
Water Voles: June sightings include individuals in the canal leading up to Peacock Tower, the reed swamp exhibit in world wetlands and in the main reedbeds.
Butterflies and insects: Green Hairstreak,Comma, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small White, Common Bee-fly, 7-spot Ladybird, Large Red Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Common Blue Damselfly.
Reptiles and amphibians: A recent survey revealed 85 Slow Worms, 3 Grass Snakes, 2 Common Lizards, and 6 juvenile Smooth Newts. There are also small numbers of Marsh Frogs croaking on sunny days. Listen out in wildside or on the marsh.
