Recent Sightings 17th-24th June
Highlights: Juvenile Willow Tit, Teal Ducklings, Ringlet Butterflies, Pyramidal Orchid, Elephant Hawk-moth
Millennium Wetlands
A juvenile Willow Tit was ringed this week as part of the constant effort site BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) ringing scheme in the Northern Loop, that is now three willow tit juveniles that have been ringed on site this year along with both parents; it was a great session with 53 birds ringed in total and just 5 of them being adults, so there is definitely lots of new bird life on the reserve.
Four Teal ducklings were sighted from the Sir Peter Scott hide on Thursdays breeding wildfowl survey, although teal often visit the site during winter, there are usually only a handful on site during the breeding season, and this is only the 2nd known brood on site ever!
Kingfishers continue to show breeding behaviour over on Deep Water Lake using the newly installed artificial nesting bank; this is their second brood of the season. A young male was sighted near the area on Tuesday, most likely from the first brood, juveniles can be distinguished from adults by the white at the tip of the beak, checkboard markings on its chest and dark coloured feet rather than red.
A Grass Snake was seen swimming in front of the Sir Peter Scott Hide by a lucky visitor on Tuesday.
The butterfly survey this week recorded Ringlet Butterflies, they now join other species found on site such as Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Large Skipper.
A moth trap was run on the evening of the 23rd, catching over 85 moths of 33 species, including the following: Elephant Hawk-moth, Peppered, Buff Tip, Silver Y, Bee Moth, Coronet, Grey dagger, Buff Arches, Heart and Dart, Poplar Grey, Lacky, Riband Wave, and V Pug.
Saltmarsh and Dafen Scrapes
Friday mornings bird count saw 48 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, a Spoonbill and 5 Lapwing (including a juvenile) using the small Saline Lagoon best seen from the Michael Powell hide, as well as a Whitethroat carrying food just in front of the hide.
Freshwater Lagoon
The Little Ringed Plover pair are continuing to sit on the nest taking it in turns to incubate, whilst the other is not far away feeding or scaring off potential predators, the team are keeping an eye out as they should hatch anytime now.
Pyramidal orchids have popped up this week in the grounds, with a few in the Tundra and Island pens.
Work this week on the reserve has seen the volunteers start to prepare the canoe safari for the upcoming season; as well as a couple of new kingfisher perches installed just outside of the Sir Peter Scott hide, hopefully they will be using them soon!
