Wildlife sightings for 13th May 2013
9 Lapwing chicks - scrape (4 broods, of 3, 3, 2, and 1 chicks)
1 Peregrine - being mobbed by a gull
4 Common Tern - main lake and reservoir lagoon
50+ Swift - feeding over scrape and main lake
Additional sighting from yesterday:
1 Spotted Flycatcher - reported by visitor on sheltered lagoon
To allow the sand martins to establish their nests the nest bank is currently closed. It will reopen - probably towards the end of May - once the chicks are being fed. The birds can still be observed entering and leaving the bank from the Peacock Tower or the Wader Scrape Hide.
Recent bird highlights: Peregrine, Buzzard, Shelduck, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Black Redstart, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher.
Other spring arrivals have included Wheatear, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Swift, Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin.
The marsh is good for watching Lapwing displaying over their breeding territory, as well as feeding Yellow Wagtail, Sand Martin and Wheatear.
Numbers of hirundines are building every day, avidly feeding on increasing midge hatches on the lakes and scrape as the temperatures rise.
Butterflies and other invertebrates: Brimstone, Comma, Peacock, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Painted Lady, Large White, Red Admiral, Small White, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White, Bee-fly, Alderfly, Dark Bush Cricket, Nursery web spider, Large Red Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly.
Reptiles: Several Common Lizards have been seen on log piles on the South Route, pond zone and also at the base of the Dulverton hide. Slow Worms are starting to appear below the survey tins. We had a record count of 7 adult Grass Snake on one survey on 27th April.
Flowering plants: Bulbous Buttercup, Common Mouse-ear, Cuckooflower, Petty Spurge, Sun Spurge, Thale Cress, Wall Speedwell, Wild Turnip, Daisy, Groundsel, Hairy Bitter-Cress, Lesser Celandine, Primrose, Sweet Violet, Sweet William, Wood Anemone, Cowslip, Marsh Marigold, Wild Daffodil, Red+White Dead Nettle, Annual Meadow-Grass, Butterbur, Colt’s Foot, Chickweed, Common Field Speedwell, Lungwort, Common Whitlowgrass, Cow Parsley, Dandelion, Frittilary, Forget-me-not, Hazel, Silver Birch, Blackthorn, Alder, Aspen, Cherry Plum, Crack Willow, Goat Willow, Grey Willow, Osier, Wild Cherry.
Water Voles: best place to see one would be one of the ponds near the Pond Zone building or ‘Down the Plughole’ exhibit. Also the ponds as you enter the wildside area from world wetlands – there’s plenty of feeding activity here.
