Wildlife sightings for 29th April 2012
1 Little Ringed Plover - main lake 1 Common Sandpiper - scrape, then flew to lake 3 Lapwing chicks - still on long island in front of scrape hide c. 170 Herring Gull - loafing on marsh and [...]
1 Little Ringed Plover - main lake
1 Common Sandpiper - scrape, then flew to lake
3 Lapwing chicks - still on long island in front of scrape hide
c. 170 Herring Gull - loafing on marsh and main lake
7 Common Tern - main lake
2 Swift - over entrance area
10+ House Martin - feeding over reservoir lagoon
10+ Swallow - feeding over marsh
1 Yellow Wagtail - marsh
Recent bird highlights: Peregrine, Whimbrel, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Jack Snipe, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Iceland Gull, Short-eared Owl, Turtle Dove, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Swallow.
With spring in the air the Cetti’s Warbler are becoming more vocal with at least 9 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. The first Lapwing chicks can now be seen on the wader scrape. The Sand Martins have also arrived and can be seen flying in and out of the nest bank.
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. Look out for possible Water Pipit on the flooded field edges. The wader scrape is now being 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.
