Butterflies, reptiles and bird surveys

13 July 2020

The numbers of greenfinch onite has been dropping in recent years but our recent Breeding Bird Survey has good greenfinch news. This April through June we have recorded greenfinches singing from the treetops around the reserve. Now we are seeing juvenile greenfinches in with their parents on the sunflower feeders at the Woodland Loop. The goldfinches that dominate those feeders are so keen to see the greenfinches.

Our wildlife surveys also show reptiles are doing well across the site, with grass snakes in abundance and several common lizard sightings. Wardens recently found the complete shed skin of a large female grass snake that was 3ft 3 inches long!
With less human activitiy onsite this year the dragonflies and damselfly emergence from the raised pond has been quite prolific this year. Exuviae of emperor and southern hawker dragonflies have been regularly found on the reeds and sedge in the pond and damselfly exuviae are plentiful around the pond liner, with up to 25 exuviae found in a 10cm²space.

This week’s butterfly survey was good, despite the weather turning half way through the survey! We recorded 74 individuals of 13 species onsite, including small skipper, marbled white and painted lady, along with the more commonly seen peacock, red admiral, comma, meadow brown and gatekeeper.

With many of the birds now heavily in moult and therefore hiding away, it is great to see sand martins still feeding young and increasing numbers of cattle egrets on site, with numbers reaching double figures on occasion. It would appear that the kingfishers are still incubating, as the male is often seen perched up next to their preferred nesting hole on the kingfisher bank opposite the visitor centre.
Young reed warblers can also be seen onsite, still being fed by parents, despite their size and obvious ability to do things for themselves! Young blackbirds are just as cheeky, following parents around and begging for food and to still be “looked after”.
The Wood Loop is a hive of activity with young tits and finches, and the Canada and greylag geese, along with many mallard, are enjoying being fed by these tiny birds as they drop bits of seed onto the ground below to the hungry wildfowl waiting patiently underneath.

- By WWT Warden Suzi Lanaway