Wildlife sightings for 20th March 2014
4 Sand Martin - flew NW
7 Chiffchaff - south route, wildside, sheltered lagoon
2 Shelduck - resr lagoon
1 Green Sandpiper - scrape
6 Redshank - scrape, main lake
7 Snipe - scrape
27 Wigeon - marsh, scrape bank
March bird highlights: Jack Snipe, Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Bearded Tit, Brambling, Linnet.
Spring has arrived with many birds singing and displaying across the reserve. Among those now in full song are Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Cetti’s Warbler, Greenfinch, Wren and Reed Bunting. Lapwing and the first Redshanks of the year are busy performing noisy display flights and scraping out nests on the islands and fields. Great Crested Grebe pairs have been courtship dancing for several weeks now, being one of the earliest wildfowl to nest here. The first Sand Martin was recorded on the 15th.
Soon the Wigeon, Shoveler and Teal will start to depart for their breeding grounds in the north and east, but for the moment small flocks can be found on the partially flooded grazing marsh and on the steep banks above the wader scrape. A Bittern was still present at the start of the month; as ever we hope it may stay a while longer as the temperatures rise, before moving elsewhere to breed. The latest Bearded Tit record was one calling near the Headley hide on the afternoon of the 11th.
Any day now should see the first Wheatear arrive from the south, so keep an eye on the grazed fields and banks around the marsh and the scrape.
Early flowering plants: Red Dead-Nettle, Blackthorn, Field-Speedwell, Primrose, Mouse-Ear, Yarrow, Annual Meadow-grass, Annual Mercury, Alder, Aspen, Colt’s-foot, Common Field Speedwell, Common Lungwort, Common Whitlow-grass, Daisy, Grey Willow, Groundsel, Hairy Bitter-cress, Hazel, Lesser Celandine, Marsh Marigold, Petty Spurge, Shepherd’s Purse, Snowdrop, Wild Daffodil, Pineapple Weed.
Water Voles: 4 individuals were spotted together along one section of the South Route, all feeding on Sedge roots and Reed stems.
Butterflies and Moths: Comma, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Green-veined White. Common Quaker, Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character, Oak Beauty, March moth, Dotted Border, Herald, Agonopterix alstromeriana, Chestnut, Agonopterix heracliana.
Other insects: White-tailed Bumblebee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Tree Bumblebee.
Amphibians: at least a dozen Smooth Newts have been spotted at the start of the month in the South Route ponds, along with one or two sightings of Common Frog. Common Toad has also been heard.
Bats: 1 Nathusius' Pipistrelle (seen), a few Soprano Pipistrelle (on bat detector).
