Wildlife sightings for 19th April 2012
3 Ringed Plover tundrae - scrape 2 Common Sandpiper - scrape 6 Redshank - main lake, scrape, marsh 16 Lapwing + 8 nests - scrape, main lake, marsh 3 Little Ringed Plover 3&nbs [...]
3 Ringed Plover tundrae - scrape
2 Common Sandpiper - scrape
6 Redshank - main lake, scrape, marsh
16 Lapwing + 8 nests - scrape, main lake, marsh
3 Little Ringed Plover
3 Snipe - marsh
1 Hobby - flew low W
1 Peregrine
1 Yellow-legged Gull 1st winter - marsh
4 Common Tern - main lake (passing fish to each other on the rafts)
20 Sand Martin - main lake, scrape
10 Swallow
1 House Martin
1 Yellow Wagtail - marsh
1 Sedge Warbler - main lake nr.Headley Hide
3 Reed Warbler - main lake, reedbed
4 Willow Warbler - wildside, sheltered lagoon
7 Blackcap
6 Chiffchaff
9 Cetti's Warbler
6 Linnet - flew NW
Recent bird highlights: Peregrine, Hobby, Jack Snipe, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Common Tern, Yellow-legged Gull, Short-eared Owl, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Swallow.
With spring in the air the Cetti’s Warbler are becoming more vocal with at least 8 birds to be found across the reserve. Many Chiffchaffs have arrived along with smaller numbers of Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Garden Warbler. Goldcrests can be heard singing away by the Trappers Lodge cabin in World Wetlands along with many other common songsters like Blackbird, Wren, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Song Thrush and Chaffinch.
Lapwing are nesting on the main lake/scrape shingle islands and grazing marsh fields, and performing territorial flight displays. Great Crested Grebe and Little Grebe are displaying regularly on the sheltered lagoon. The first few Sand Martins have also arrived (mid-March).
The marsh will remain wet through early spring to attract a host of visiting waders and other wildfowl, as well as Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear. Listen out for possible Water Pipit. The wader scrape will now start to be drained and wetted on a weekly basis to attract feeding waders.
Moths: Common Quaker, Hebrew Character, Chestnut, Clouded Drab, Esperia sulpurella, Epermenia chaerophyllea, Powdered Quaker, Light Brown Apple Moth, Early Grey.
Flowering plants: Cowslip, Cuckooflower, Cow Parsley, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Wild Cherry, Wood Anemone, Ramsons, Common Mouse-ear, Field Wood-rush, Marsh Marigold, Snake’s Head Fritillary, Red Dead-nettle, Primrose, Oxford Ragwort.
Water Voles: 5 seen in world wetlands, waterlife and wildside, Reed Swamp exhibit is a good bet, near the sluices.
Butterflies and insects: Comma, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small White, Common Bee-fly, 7-spot Ladybird, Large Red Damselfly.
Reptiles: 75% refugia on the western side of the reserve had a Slow Worm underneath. 8 adult and 2 juvenile Common Lizards recorded from 8 locations in waterlife, wildside and pond zone area.
