Wildlife sightings for 20th June 2013
1 Little Egret - feeding on scrape
1 Shelduck - flew over main lake from W, then turned and flew S downriver
Lapwing juvs - marsh and scrape
4 Redshank adults + 3 juvs - scrape (1 adult visible on marsh, possibly with more juvs)
1 Hobby - circled high over main lake
1 Buzzard - flying NW
1 Whitethroat - singing sheltered lagoon nr. sand martin bank
1 Kingfisher - wildside and world wetlands
Recent bird highlights: Black-necked Grebes, Peregrine, Hobby, Buzzard, Shelduck, Dunlin, Redshank, Yellow Wagtail, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike.
There are several broods of Lapwing and Redshank chick on the marsh, main lake and wader scrape. They are becoming increasingly hard to spot as the tall grasses and herbs grow up around them, giving them better cover from avian predators like Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Carrion Crow. Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mallard, Gadwall and Little Grebe all have nests on the lake islands and amongst the marginal vegetation. Mute Swan broods currently number 5 (with 15 juveniles).
Numbers of Sand Martins and Swifts are high, avidly feeding on increasing midge hatches on the lakes and scrape as the temperatures rise. 51 holes in the artificial bank are occupied by the Sand Martins. Smaller numbers of House Martin may be counted, with Swallows being occasional visitors at this time of year (these birds prefer to breed in more rural areas). Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns are nesting on the rafts on the main lake and reservoir lagoon. All reedbeds and reed fringes are full of singing Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and a few Reed Bunting. Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff are all breeding amongst the tree/scrub blocks and the hedges around the reserve. There's now plenty of young Reed Warblers to be found in most patches of reed, being very vocal and busy at the moment. Occasional Yellow Wagtail and Whinchat may be found on the marsh.
Butterflies and other invertebrates: (4th+13th June) Common Blue>Burnet Companion>Small White>Speckled Wood>Green-veined White>Small Copper. Azure/Common Blue Damselfly>Blue-tailed Damselfly>Hairy Dragonfly>Large Red Damselfly>Broad-bodied Chaser, Elephant Hawk Moth.
Reptiles: Common Lizards have been seen on log piles on the South Route and pond zone; also around the brick edges of the sluices if quiet enough. Slow Worms are present below the survey tins and sometimes basking on habitat piles. Grass Snakes may be spotted swimming across ponds in wildside.
Flowering plants: Bee Orchid
Bittersweet
Black Medick
Bladder Campion
Blue Water-speedwell
Branched Bur-reed
Cat’s-ear
Charlock
Chives
Columbine
Common Chickweed
Common Mallow
Common Sorrel
Common Spotted Orchid
Crow Garlic (about to come into flower)
Curry Plant
Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill
Deptford Pink
Field Scabious
French Sorrel
Fuchsia
Garden Cat-mint
Garden Geranium / Crane’s-bill varieties
Garden Iris varieties (‘Blue Rhythm’, ‘Moonbeam’, etc)
Garden Lady’s-mantle
Giant Rhubarb
Globe Flower
Grass Vetchling
Great Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Great Burnet
Hedgerow Crane’s-bill
Hemlock Water-dropwort
Hoary Plantain
Hop Trefoil
Lavender
Lesser Swinecress
Love-in-the-Mist
Mare’s-tail (plants have emerged out of water – flowers are tiny and in whorl around stem)
Meadow Buttercup
Meadow Clary
Meadow Vetchling
Oriental Poppy
Peony
Pineapple Mayweed
Procumbent Pearlwort
Purple Toadflax
Ragged Robin
Red Campion
Red Clover
Round-leaved Crane’s-bill
Sage
Scented Mayweed
Scentless Mayweed
Short-fruited Willowherb
Smooth Tare
Smooth Hawk’s-beard
Southern Marsh Orchid
Spotted Medick
Sweet Flag
Turkish Sage
Welsh Poppy
White Clover
Wild Clary
Wild Strawberry
Wild Thyme
Yellow Iris
Yellow Rattle
Yellow Water-Lily
Fungi:
Brittlegill species on birch trees (e.g. Bleached Brittlegill)
Brown Mottlegill
Eyelash Fungus (species sent for determination)
Firerug Inkcap
Hare’s-foot Inkcap
Lycogala terrestre (a slime mould)
Palamino Cup
Pleated Inkcap species
Spring Fieldcap
Trichia persimilis (possible) (a slime mould)
Yellow Brain
Grasses, Sedges & Rushes:
Common Club-rush
Common Spike-rush
Crested Dog’s-tail
Crested Hair-grass
False Oat-grass
Fern-grass
Hairy Brome
Meadow Oat-grass
Perennial Rye-grass
Quaking-grass
Tufted Hair-grass
Yellow Oat-grass
Yorkshire Fog
Wood Club-rush
