Recent Sightings 30th July - 5th August
Highlights: Bittern, Spotted Redshank, Great White Egret, Green Sandpiper, Kingfishers fledging
Millennium Wetlands
A Bittern was sighted by one of the Reserve Interns on the evening of the 3rd over the Eastern Scrapes, whilst carrying out surveying; not a common sight here at the Wetland Centre, with occasional sightings in the winter months when vegetation is bare, it's always a treat to see them. The Kingfishers have been busy again this year over on Deep Water Lake with a second brood just fledged within the past week from the artificial nesting bank, some lucky visitors got to see three juveniles perched being fed by both parents on Sunday; a juvenile male and female are still regularly being seen from the Sir Peter Scott hide perches. A Great White Egret has been spotted using deep Water Lake this week a few times and was roosting in the trees with 45 Little Egrets on Thursday evening. Over on the Northern Loop a Willow Tit was heard calling around the Pond Walk area on Tuesday of this week.
A moth light trap was run on the evening of the 4th with 69 individuals of over 30 species caught including: Pale Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pebble Prominent, Garden Tiger, Mother of Pearl, Willow Beauty, Flame Shoulder, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Black Arches, Sallow Kitten, Knot Grass, Gold Spot, Small Phoenix, Rosy Rustic, Ringed China-mark and Small China-mark. Moth mornings are happening throughout the summer holidays on Tuesdays and Thursdays 11-12 in the Discovery Room, come along and see what's about. Or come along to our Bio Blitz event on the 16th August for our 'Mighty Moths' between 9:30 and 10:30, to help us record as many species as possible.
Salt Marsh and Dafen Scrapes
The high tides have spilled over into the Saline Lagoons this week and have replenished them, bird counts on Wednesday and Friday saw around 1600 wading birds seeking refuge from the flooded Estuary at peak high tide, the best counts of species included: 815 Black-tailed Godwit, 480 Curlew, 380 Redshank, 110 Dunlin, 55 Greenshank, 15 Knot, 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff, a Spotted Redshank, and a Great White Egret. A Fox was again seen on Dafen Scrapes Friday morning.
Freshwater Lagoon
A Green Sandpiper was spotted feeding at the Freshwater Lagoon last Saturday whilst a Common Sandpiper was seen feeding on the island edges on Friday mornings count; the two Little Ringed Plover juveniles are still hanging around this area also.
Work on the Reserve
Work this week has included fixed point photography being carried out, this occurs twice a year and gives a general overview of the habitats vegetation and condition, beneficial for recording the changes over consecutive years and for planning the future management of habitats.
