Wildlife sightings for 24th June 2012
1 Shoveler - marsh 7 Teal - main lake and scrape 2 Little Grebe chicks - 1 in channel by wildside hide, the other in the pool between the field lab and the summer route 9 Common Tern and 3 [...]
1 Shoveler - marsh
7 Teal - main lake and scrape
2 Little Grebe chicks - 1 in channel by wildside hide, the other in the pool between the field lab and the summer route
9 Common Tern and 3 chicks - main lake
20 Lapwing - main lake
80 Swift - feeding over reservoir lagoon
2 Whitethroat - sheltered lagoon and south route
8 Blackcap - sheltered lagoon, south route and wildside
A dead Common Tern was recovered here last week and found to have been ringed. The details were sent off and we heard back that the bird was ringed as an adult in Senegal in April 2008.
Additional sighting from yesterday:
1 Common Sandpiper - main lake
Recent bird highlights: Buzzard, Hobby, Peregrine, Avocet, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear.
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.
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, at least 1 Pochard brood in the main reedbeds, 3 broods of Common Tern on the main lake, Mallard have a few families across the reserve and there’s 1 Little Grebe brood in the middle reedbed channel.
Cetti's Warblers have at least 1 brood in wildside with more familes expected soon. There are 3 Whitethroat territories, 1 Chiffchaff territory and 1 possible Lesser Whitethroat territory.
Flowering plants: Mallow, Marsh Woundwort, Cow Parsley, Field Scabious, Devil's Bit Scabious, Red Dead-nettle, Hop Trefoil, Kidney Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Common Vetch, Grass Vetchling, Meadow Vetchling, Ragged Robin, Great Burnet, Salad Burnet, Herb Robert, Yellow Flag, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Water Mint, Common Spotted Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Bee Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, St.John's-wort, Purple Loosestrife, Yellow Loosestrife, Hemlock, Yellow Rattle, Wild Parsnip, Basterd Cabbage, Monkey-flower
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.
