Wildlife sightings for 24th June 2013
15 Teal - scrape, reservoir lagoon
10 Mute Swan + 22 cygnets
9 Common Tern + 5 chicks - main lake and resr lagoon
18 Black-headed Gull + 14 chicks - main lake and resr lagoon
4 Redshank + 4 juvs - scrape (all juvs nearly fledged)
3 Lapwing juvs - scrape (2 small juvs and 1 nearly fledged juv)
1 Nuthatch - Queen Elizabeth Walk alongside sheltered lagoon/maintenance yard area (present in same spot last week as well)
1 Whitethroat - scrape/Thames path
Recent bird highlights: Black-necked Grebes, Little Egret, 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 24 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 Geranium / Crane’s-bill varieties, Lady’s-mantle, 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, 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, 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.
