Osprey, Cattle Egret, and a swarm of Sand Martin and Swallows
Happy Easter from WWT Llanelli!
We’re doing a different kind of egg hunt…
Wildlife Sightings at WWT Llanelli from 14th – 20th April 2025
Highlights: Osprey, Cattle Egret, Sand Martin, Swallow
Thursday saw the arrival of an Osprey, much to the delight of visitors watching from the British Steel Hide. After a few laps up and down the Estuary, it had quickly flown out of sight. But that wasn’t the only bird of prey for the week – also visiting the Saltmarsh were a Marsh Harrier and Peregrine Falcon!
Four Cattle Egret flew in for a rest on Deep Water Lake Island this Saturday, before soon taking off again, as fleeting as the Osprey. The group showed off their buff -coloured breeding plumes on their head, neck, and chest – a feature shared by male and female Cattle Egrets. But what do you call a group of Egrets? An egret-together of course!
Tuesday’s downpour brought in Sand Martins and Swallows swooping above the surface of Freshwater Lagoon catching insects in the rain. These two closely related birds share their skill of acrobatic flying, darting with impressive agility, like most members of the Hirundinidae. The Sand Martin is the smallest member of the family found in the UK, at just 12cm long!
Forget mini eggs this Easter – you don’t know miniature until you’ve seen a Blue Tit egg! It's that time of year where we begin our nest box surveys again, and the Blue Tits and Great Tits have already begun to lay eggs. We will be monitoring their progress, from egg to fledgling to gather valuable data for the Nest Record Scheme. But right now, we’re focused on the cuteness more than anything – oops! On a serious note, it is important to remember that bird nests are protected by law as part of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, so we kindly ask that any nesting birds on site are given ample room and are left undisturbed.
Finally, we can’t forget to mention the Variable Damselfly and Common Darter finally joining our many butterflies around the Reserve! Keep and eye out for all sorts of species of dragonfly, damselfly and butterfly in the coming months – they love the summer sun as much as we do!
