Wildlife reserve update
I’m pleased to report that all 12 avocet young have successfully fledged from Wader Lake.
In the past, once the young avocets have fledged, they quickly depart site. But this year, the young birds have been noted exploring the local area - including a trip up to Penshaw Monument - and 8-9 birds have actually returned to site.
They have spent the last three weeks or so in and around the saline lagoon, which seems to be their preferred habitat. Ringing records show that our birds head south for the winter and we don’t usually see them until they return a couple of years later as adults, but it will be interesting to see what happens next year and if any nest attempts are made on the lagoon.
Migrant wading birds have been evident on Wader Lake and the saline lagoon during the last few weeks with knot, dunlin, little ringed plover, greenshank and whimbrel, as well as common, green and wood sandpiper so far this autumn passage.
Visitors should also keep their eyes peeled above them in the sky, as birds of prey are on the move too (for example, on August 2 a hobby flew west over site).
In the past four years, sections of the tree-line along Wader Lake and the river footpath have been pollarded and coppiced, giving a diverse age structure to the trees and scrub along this area.
And this year, all that hard work has finally paid off, with species such as common whitethroat, willow warbler (left), blackcap and song thrush all nesting and raising young along this stretch.
