Barnacle Goose, Pochard, Tree Bumblebee, and an admirable Red Admiral
Beautiful weather has brought in basking visitors and animals alike!
Sunny spring days have given us plenty of sightings to report!
Wildlife Sightings at WWT Llanelli from 3rd – 10th March 2025
Highlights: Barnacle Goose, Pochard, Tree Bumblebee, Red Admiral
On Friday, visitors to the British Steel Hide were pleased to see a lone Barnacle Goose amongst the Canada Geese on the Dafen Scrapes. These birds, alongside Brent Geese, were once thought to have the same species as goose barnacles, as their nests were never found due to their breeding in the Arctic. This myth convinced some Catholics of the Middle Ages that they were acceptable to eat during lent, unlike other birds!
This morning on Deep Water Lake, the Reserve Team spotted a group of ten Pochard, with an equal split of male and female. This has left us feeling hopeful that a few pairs will stay here for the breeding season.
Unbefitting a queen, a Tree Bumblebee was ‘trapped’ in the Herons Wing Hide this week, before realising that the door was in fact open for her to leave through. Emerging quite early, the queen bee will be on her look out for suitable nesting spots to establish her hive, which will be a great pollinator asset to the wildflowers of the wetlands!
Our final highlight of the week is the Red Admiral, one of the only butterflies you can see year-round! However, our cold UK winters aren’t kind to these iconic insects, so most individuals seen over the summer are migrants from mainland Europe. It is still early in the year though, so this particular sighting was most likely a resident to the area. The Red Admiral is a long-lived species, with an adult lifespan of up to 10 months.
Additionally, a Peregrine was spotted soaring across the site, and the Kingfishers over on Deep Water Lake have been seen mating. The clear weather has also brought out some reptiles this week, with Slow Worms taking the chance to bask in the sun.
Featured Photo Credit: Billymill60
