Wildlife sightings for 26th July 2012
1 new Little Grebe brood (5 chicks) - wildside 1 new Pochard brood (the 4th brood) - reedbed 2 Gadwall broods (well grown young) - resr lagoon 4 Common Tern juvs + 7 adults - main lak [...]
1 new Little Grebe brood (5 chicks) - wildside
1 new Pochard brood (the 4th brood) - reedbed
2 Gadwall broods (well grown young) - resr lagoon
4 Common Tern juvs + 7 adults - main lake
2 new Lapwing nests (very late breeding) - main lake
2 Arctic Tern - main lake
1 Peregrine - flying high over reserve, calling, 5:00 p.m.
1 Curlew - circled high, calling, 5:15 p.m.
Recent bird highlights:
Spoonbill, Little Egret, Buzzard, Peregrine, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail.
Breeding success so far includes 4 Pochard broods, 3 Gadwall broods, 9 Tufted Duck broods, 4 broods of Common Tern, 3 Little Grebe broods, 2+ Cetti's Warbler broods, 4+ Blackcap broods.
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.
Flowering plants: Mallow, Betony, 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, Southern Marsh Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, St.John's-wort, Purple Loosestrife, Yellow Loosestrife, Self Heal, Common Hawkweed, Common Knapweed, Yellow Bartsia, Brooklime, Yellow Rattle, Wild Parsnip, Monkey-flower, Water Plantain, Meadowsweet, Red Clover, White Clover, Figwort, Hemp Agrimony.
The tall herb fen meadows in wildside are looking at their best right now, as are all the wildflower fields across the reserve. Many of the flowers are a lot taller and more robust this season thanks to the lush grass growth we have had.
Butterflies and insects: Green Hairstreak, Comma, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Small White, Large White, Large Red Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer.
