Recent Sightings 23rd -29th July
Highlights: Gannet, Fulmar, Peregrine Falcon, Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Salt Marsh and Dafen Scrapes
On Sunday a Gannet and a Fulmar were seen from the British Steel Hide along the Estuary not common species to find so far up the Burry Inlet, so a real treat for the lucky visitors that saw them!
Around 190 Redshank and 19 Greenshank were counted using the Saline Lagoons on Friday, with a flock seen from the Michael Powell hide in the small lagoon, as well as more gatherings over in the larger lagoons seen from the British Steel Hide; the heavy rainfall over the past few weeks has seen the lagoons start to fill back up with water after the really dry spell earlier in the season. High tides this coming week are expected to flood the Salt Marsh and spill into the Saline Lagoons, hopefully more waders will return to the area to feed and rest with more water present.
A Peregrine Falcon was sighted flying over Dafen Scrapes on Monday, the site often gets juveniles visiting the Salt Marsh in the autumn and winter to practice hunting, so we expect to hear more sightings of them soon.
Millennium Wetlands
A Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar was sighted along the Northern Loop on Friday afternoon, named Elephant Hawkmoth because the caterpillars look like an elephants trunk, they have large eyespots to scare off predators, and can even make itself appear larger to emphasise the eyespots.
Slow Worms have been sighted under the reptile tins this week as well as a Common Lizard, they are as the name suggests common through Britain; unusual among reptiles Common Lizards incubate their eggs inside the body, appearing after hibernation to mate in April and May and producing young in July of around three to eleven individuals.
Freshwater Lagoon
The two Little Ringed Plover chicks have been sighted in this area this past week, the adults seen to be leaving them more often and they have been observed flying short distances. This is the first successful brood of Little Ringed Plovers on site ever, so we are delighted that they have done so well and especially here on the Freshwater Lagoon which has seen a lot of habitat management work to improve the area for wading birds within the past few years.
Work on the reserve this week has seen grass sward height monitoring carried out, this surveying gives an overview of the condition, contributing to how the habitats are managed. Whilst the Wednesday reserve volunteers helped to tackle the unruly willow in the children's play area of Water Vole City by weaving it.
