Wildlife sightings for 26th February 2014
1 Shelduck - male, main lake
2 Pintail - main lake
6 Mandarin - world wetlands
1 Red Kite - flew S at 12:15 p.m.
1 Kestrel - over sheltered lagoon
1 Redshank - scrape
10 Snipe - marsh, scrape
1 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull - main lake
1 Stonechat - female, marsh
4 Cetti's Warbler - singing
2 Goldcrest - mating in world wetlands
1 Brambling - south route
1 Siskin - world wetlands
8 Lesser Redpoll - south route
February bird highlights: Bittern, Jack Snipe, Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Little Gull, Caspian Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Bearded Tit, Brambling, Mealy Redpoll.
3 Bitterns have been spotted this month, mostly on the north and south shores of the main lake, with movements into the main reedbed at dusk for roosting.
Smaller numbers of Redwing have still been roosting every evening in the trees around World Wetlands and Wildside. Most of the berries on the Hawthorn, Dog Rose, Holly, Rowan and Guelder Rose have been stripped now.
1-2 Jack Snipe are present still at the start of February, taking advantage of the flooded grazing marsh or the wader scrape. Teal numbers remain high, their favoured feeding grounds being the exposed mud on the wader scrape and the grazing marsh, particularly during high tide when large numbers leave the river to visit the reserve instead. Shovelers remain steady at 70-100 birds, again making use of the flooded grazing marsh for loafing, feeding and roosting. Wigeon are tending to graze high up on the scrape banks, bordering the River Thames. The first Redshank of the spring arrived 23rd February.
The latest Bearded Tit sighting came from the SE corner of the main lake, heard once and seen on another occasion.
There’s been some interesting Gull sightings (Caspian and Little Gulls) with many birds being moved around the country by the floods in search of feeding and roosting sites.
Early signs of spring include singing Chaffinch, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Goldfinch, Cetti’s Warbler; as well as a pair of displaying Great Crested Grebe; Starlings investigating nest boxes and brick cavities.
Early flowering plants: Red Dead-Nettle, Blackthorn, Petty Spurge, Winter Aconite, Field-Speedwell, Primrose, Mouse-Ear, Yarrow. Many Hawthorns are already in leaf, particularly in wildside.
Water Voles: 4 individuals were spotted together along one section of the South Route, all feeding on Sedge roots and Reed stems.
