More warblers, butterflies and amphibians
Our glorious spring weather continues and with it, our spring migrant birds continue to flock in, among them sedge, garden and grasshopper warblers and an osprey has been seen carrying its lunch! Mallard pairs have been spotted with their ducklings. As well as the exciting spring birdlife, there has been a boom in invertebrate life: various butterfly species, a common carder bumblebee and a large red damselfly. Badgers, weasels and even a mole are among the mammals that have been around recently. On the amphibian front, natterjack toads have been observed around the reserve and were heard calling in the afternoon, which is quite unusual as normally they call around dusk and when it gets dark – so listen out and you might get lucky!
Image of a large red damselfly by Jacob Campbell
Recent sightings (24th April – 5th May)
| Badger
Barnacle goose Blackbird Blackcap Black-headed gull Black-tailed godwit Blue tit Buzzard Canada goose Carrion crow Chaffinch Chiffchaff Collared dove Common carder bumblebee Common sandpiper Dunnock Gadwall Garden warbler Goldfinch Goosander Grasshopper warbler | --- | Great tit
Greenshank Green-veined butterfly Grey heron Greylag goose Hare House martin Jackdaw Lapwing Large red damselfly Linnet Little egret Mallard and ducklings Moorhen Mute swan Natterjack toad Orange tip butterfly Osprey Oystercatcher Peacock butterfly Pink-footed goose | --- | Redshank
Reed bunting Robin Roe deer Rooks Sedge warbler Shelduck Skylark Small white butterfly Smooth newt Swallow Tree sparrow Weasel Wheatear Whimbrel Whooper swan Wigeon Willow warbler Woodpigeon Wren Yellow rattle |
Written by Marianne Nicholson
Feature image of orange-tip butterfly by Alex Hillier
