Snipe feeding on marsh and wader scrape

4 March 2019

Snipe feeding in the dense, muddy parts of wet grassland. Sand Martins flying around.

6 Snipe - marsh, scrape, main lake

1 Jack Snipe - scrape

2 Shelduck - scrape

1 Water Pipit - scrape

1 Goldeneye - reservoir lagoon

2 Sand Martin - scrape, marsh, main lake

February/early March bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bittern, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Little Ringed Plover, Black-Tailed Godwit, Little Owl, Peregrine, Kestrel, Red Kite, Iceland Gull, Water Pipit, Siskin, Stonechat, Lesser Redpoll.

Bitterns (2-3) 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 Yellow-legged Gull, hunting Peregrine, Water Rail, Snipe and Lapwing. Gadwall and 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 include 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 (see below), Speckled Wood, Red-tailed Bumblebee, Orchard Bee, Hairy-footed Bumblebee.

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 (see below).

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 (see below), Daisy, Winter Jasmine, Blue Anemone, Rosemary, Sweet Violet