Wildlife sightings for 11th May 2016
1 Mute Swan brood - 5 cygnets with parents in wildside
2 Shelduck - main lake
2 Greenshank - marsh
1 Dunlin - main lake
1 Ringed Plover - main lake
2 Common Sandpiper - wader scrape
5 Redshank - wader scrape
1 Buzzard - perched in the wildside trees
2 Common Tern - main lake
1 Pheasant - scrape
1 Kingfisher - wildside
60+ Swift - over main lake/centre
1 Whitethroat - singing opposite sand martin bank
Additional sightings from yesterday:
4 Arctic Tern
75 Redshank - circled and flew down river
1 Knot - circled and flew down river
1 Yellow Wagtail
May bird highlights: Shelduck, Little Egret, Knot, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Iceland Gull, Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Whinchat, Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Black Redstart, Redpoll.
There’s been some good spring migration on the reserve with sightings of Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Ring Ouzel, Swallow, Sand Martin, Garden Warbler, Wheatear and Willow Warbler. Lapwings and Redshanks are displaying and nesting across the marsh, scrape and main lake. The marsh water level has been gradually drawn down since early March so there’s plenty of muddy edges to attract passage birds at the moment. Look out for Yellow Wagtails feeding around the feet of the cattle, along with possible Wheatear, Pipits, Whinchat and Ring Ouzel out on the marsh or the East Bank
Early flowering species: Hazel, Blackthorn, Cherry Plum, Hawthorn, Silver Birch, Willow sp., Aspen, Bulbous Buttercup, Butcher’s Broom, Butterbur, Colt’s Foot, Common Field Speedwell, Common Vetch, Common Whitlowgrass, Cow Parsley, Cowslips, Crocus, Cuckoo-flower, Daisy, Dandelion, Groundsel, Lesser Celandine, Forget-me-not, Marsh Marigold, White and Red Dead-nettle, Petty Spurge, Primrose, Common Mouse-ear, Sweet Violet, Winter Aconite.
Insects (and earliest March dates): Common Carder Bee(22nd), Early Mining Bee(25th), Grey-patched Mining Bee(11th), Hairy-footed Flower Bee(11th), Buff-tailed Bumble Bee(21st), Tree Bumble Bee(12th), Juniper-shield Bug(19th April), 16spot Ladybird(19th April), Small Tortoiseshell(17th), Brimstone(22nd), Small White(22nd), Peacock(17th), Comma(25th), Red Admiral(29thFeb), Dark-edged Bee Fly(29th), Holly Blue(19th April), Speckled Wood (19th April).
Water Voles: most Spring sightings have been along the south route, particularly near reeds or sedge. A Bank Vole was spotted (12th March) on the west side of the sheltered lagoon.
Reptiles: A reptile survey on 30th April found 22 juvenile and 7 adult slow worms and a juvenile grass snake.
