Wildlife sightings for 5th June 2012
1 Teal - main lake 1 Greenshank - wader scrape 1 Redshank - wader scrape 3 Little Ringed Plover - main lake, wader scrape 15 Common Tern - main lake 2 Chiffchaff - wildside &nb [...]
1 Teal - main lake
1 Greenshank - wader scrape
1 Redshank - wader scrape
3 Little Ringed Plover - main lake, wader scrape
15 Common Tern - main lake
2 Chiffchaff - wildside
Recent bird highlights: Buzzard, Hobby,Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail and Swallow.
May is a great month for bird song now that so many summer visitors have arrived and set up breeding territories. Listen out for Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap , Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Cetti’s Warbler, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Wren among others. In the reedbeds and other reed fringes Reed Warbler are singing away, along with one or two Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting.
Lapwing are nesting on the main lake/scrape shingle islands and grazing marsh fields, and performing territorial flight displays. 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 wader 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 at several locations 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: most likely spots are the world wetlands ‘reed swamp’ exhibit, or in wildside.
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.
