Recent sightings 14th - 16th August
Highlights include, Cattle egret, Holly blue and Southern Hawker
Large numbers of black-tailed godwit have been seen sheltering on the saline lagoons at high tide recently, with 514 being the highest count of the week. Small groups of lapwing continue to feed around the edge of the saline lagoons as well as on the Dafen scrapes. Groups of swallows, house martins and sand martins have returned to the reserve, seen feeding from the steel hide and the observatory, likely feeding before their migrations south. Common sandpiper have been seen regularly feeding on the Dafen scrapes. The cattle egret has also been showing regularly throughout the week, often seen feeding around the cattle feeding on the salt marsh.
Millennium Wetlands
Over on the Millennium wetlands, our waterfowl numbers have started to build, with 30+ gadwall being seen, as well as groups of teal, shoveler and tufted duck. Little grebe chicks have been seen regularly from the Peter Scott hide. Kingfisher has been seen fishing around Deep Water Lake, occasionally choosing to fish on the posts in front of the Peter Scott hide. Groups of up to 30 little egret has often been seen from the Herons Wing hide in the afternoons. Families of long-tailed tit's have been seen regularly around the northern loop of the reserve.
We have lots of butterfly's and dragonfly's around the reserve, including speckled wood, meadow brown, holly blue, common blue, and painted lady butterfly as well as migrant hawker and southern hawker dragonfly.
Slow worm, grass snake and common lizard have been seen regularly on log piles around the reserve including young common lizard.
