First Swallow of the year!
Numbers of Sand Martin increasing and Chiffchaff singing around the site.
1 Swallow - wader scrape (10:30 a.m.)
7 Sand Martin - main lake
2 Jack Snipe - wader scrape
4 Snipe - wader scrape, grazing marsh
1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh
2 Shelduck - wader scrape
2 Pintail - reservoir lagoon
1 Redwing - sheltered lagoon
3 Chiffchaff - South route, sheltered lagoon, wildside
March bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bittern, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Dunlin, Black-Tailed Godwit, Peregrine, Kestrel, Iceland Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Water Pipit, Stonechat, Skylark.
Bitterns (1-2) can be found on the main lake and reservoir lagoon shores. The flooded wader scrape and marsh have plenty of feeding winter duck including Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal, as well as Jack Snipe, Snipe and Water Pipit. Also on the main lake there’s been occasional Iceland Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, hunting Peregrine, Water Rail, Snipe and Lapwing. Goldeneye can be found on the reservoir lagoon. Cetti’s Warbler, Water Rail and Reed Bunting can be seen and heard in any of the reedbed areas, particularly on the wildside west route. A colour ringed Black-headed Gull with the ring number T2TW was seen on site on January the 31st 2019, with subsequent information revealing the bird was originally ringed in Gdansk Poland on the 31st May 2018. A Greater Black-backed Gull ringed in Russia three years ago was found on the reserve later in the month.
By mid February singing spring birds included Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Robin, Song Thrush, Goldfinch and Blackbird. Lapwing are displaying over the flooded waterbodies and Great Crested Grebe are doing their courtship 'weed dance' on the lake. A very early Little Ringed Plover was spotted on the 16th on a day with strong southerly winds blowing. The first Sand Martin was recorded 25th February. A drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker was heard 1st March.
Insects: Honey Bee, Marmalade Fly (Hoverfly sp.), Nursery Web Spider, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Early Bumblebee, Brimstone, Comma, Speckled Wood, Red-tailed Bumblebee, Orchard Bee, Hairy-footed Bumblebee, Orchard Bee (see below).
Water voles: sightings from the south route Wildwalk bridge pool (in the Pond Sedge), and from Wildside ponds close to the Wildside entrance.
Fungi: Alder Goblet, Bark Bonnet, Beech Tarcrust, Beech Woodwort, Birch Polypore, Collared Earthstar, Field Blewitt, Glue Crust, Green Elf Cup, Egg-shell Slime Mould, Conifer Mazegill, Coral Spot, Greyling Bracket, Lemon Disco, Oak Mazegill, Poplar Bells, Turkeytail, Witches' Butter, Velvet Shank, Snowy Disco.
Early flowering plants: Hazel, Alder, Cock's-foot Grass, Winter Aconite, Red and White Dead-nettle, Early Crocus, Snowdrop, Blackthorn, Winter Viburnum, Cherry Plum, Stinking Helleborine, Daisy, Winter Jasmine, Blue Anemone, Rosemary, Sweet Violet, Cowslip.
Bats: Pipistrelle sp. seen flying around the gables of centre building facing the Entrance Lake p.m. 22nd February.
Reptiles: Common Lizards (5 juveniles,1 adult) near Dulverton Hide, and Slow Worms (2 juveniles) - all found 23rd February.
