Wildlife sightings for 28th June 2012
10 Common Tern + 3 chicks - main lake 190 Herring Gull - main lake (high tide) 33 Black-heaed Gull - main lake (high tide) 2 Peregrine - over resr lagoon 11 Blackcap 8 Cetti's [...]
10 Common Tern + 3 chicks - main lake
190 Herring Gull - main lake (high tide)
33 Black-heaed Gull - main lake (high tide)
2 Peregrine - over resr lagoon
11 Blackcap
8 Cetti's Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat - overflow car park/south route hedgerow
3 Whitethroat - scrape bank, sheltered lagoon
1 Chiffchaff - wildside
Recent bird highlights: Buzzard, Hobby,Peregrine, Avocet,Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Curlew, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Nightingale, Crossbill, Wheatear.
Common Terns are breeding on the main lake rafts with several broods.
Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mallard, Little Grebe, Gadwall are all on nests throughout the reserve, but mostly hidden away amongst the thick vegetation on the islands
Breeding success so far includes 1Pochard brood, 2 Gadwall broods, 2 broods of Common Tern, 1Little Grebe brood, 2 Cetti's Warbler broods, 3 Blackcapbroods. There are 3 Whitethroat territories, 1 Chiffchaff territory and 1 Lesser Whitethroat territory.
The scrape is drained and wetted on a weekly basis to attract feeding waders. Irregular waders of most species may turn up at any time this month so keep looking out for them. Also on the scrape the Sand Martins are nesting in the artificial bank. Watch them flying in and out as well as feeding over the muddy pools for insects.
Flowering plants: Mallow, Marsh Woundwort, Cow Parsley, Field Scabious, Devil's Bit Scabious, Red Dead-nettle, Hop Trefoil, Kidney Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Common Vetch, Grass Vetchling, Meadow Vetchling, Ragged Robin, Great Burnet, Salad Burnet, Herb Robert, Yellow Flag, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Water Mint, Common Spotted Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Bee Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, St.John's-wort, Purple Loosestrife, Yellow Loosestrife, Self Heal, Common Hawkweed, Common Knapweed, Yellow Bartsia, Brooklime, Yellow Rattle, Wild Parsnip, Monkey-flower, Water Plantain, Meadowsweet, Red Clover, White Clover.
Water Voles: June sightings include individuals in the canal leading up to Peacock Tower, the reed swamp exhibit in world wetlands and in the main reedbeds.
Butterflies and insects: Green Hairstreak,Comma, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small White, Common Bee-fly, 7-spot Ladybird, Large Red Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Common Blue Damselfly.
