Wildlife sightings for 1st May 2015
1 Bittern - main lake
3 Yellow Wagtail - marsh
1 Shelduck - main lake
1 Snipe - marsh
3 Little Ringed Plover - main lake, marsh
3 Common Tern - main lake, reservoir lagoon
7 Redshank - main lake, marsh, reservoir lagoon
8 Blackcap - wildside, sheltered lagoon, south route
2 Chiffchaff - wildside, sheltered lagoon
1 Garden Warbler - south route
11 Reed Warbler - wildside, sheltered lagoon, south route
8 Swallow - marsh, reservoir lagoon
2 House Martin - marsh, reservoir lagoon
April bird highlights: Shelduck, Buzzard, Peregrine, Hobby, Red Kite, Merlin, Stone Curlew, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Jack Snipe, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Kittiwake, Mediterranean Gull, Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail, Stonechat, Whinchat, Wheatear, Grasshopper Warbler, Siberian Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat.
Many of the spring birds have arrived in the form of Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Sand Martin, Blackcap, Little Ringed Plover and Redshank, as well as other migrants stopping off or passing through like Black-tailed Godwit, Mediterranean Gull, Swallow, Willow Warbler and Wheatear. The wet, muddy pools of the marsh are attracting migrant Snipe (14 counted early April) and breeding Lapwing/Redshank. The wader scrape is now being flooded and drained over a weekly period to bring in a few interesting waders. A pair of Kingfishers have been seen excavating holes in both artificial Kingfisher Banks, so there’s hope that they may well nest successfully this year. Great Crested Grebes are paired up and displaying on the main lake and reservoir lagoon. Lapwings are sitting on nests, as well as busily displaying to each other.
Reptiles: Survey results from 18th April: Slow Worm: 15 juvenile, 10 male, 8 female. Grass Snake: 2. Common Lizard: 1.
Butterflies and other insects: 1 Red Admiral (1st March), 1 Brimstone (9th March), 1 Small Tortoiseshell (9th March), Small White (6th April), 8 Peacock (6th April), 1 Speckled Wood (7th April), 2 Comma (7th April), 1 Holly Blue (7th April), Orange-tip (12th April), Green-veined White (20th April), 7-Spot Ladybird, Bee-Fly, Miner Bee, White-tailed Bumblebee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee.
Flowering plants: Primrose, Red Dead-Nettle, Colts-foot, Marsh Marigold, Lesser Celandine, Bulbous Buttercup, Cowslip, Blackthorn, Wild Cherry, Wood Anemone, Sweet Violet.
