Wildlife sightings for 4th March 2016
1 Redshank - main lake
5 Snipe - main lake, marsh, scrape
1 Herring Gull argentatus adult - marsh
43 Cormorant - main lake
6 Meadow Pipit - flew N
2 Stonechat - marsh (fence bordering the reedbed)
19 Redwing - entrance area
8 Siskin - south route
5 Fieldfare - sheltered lagoon
February bird highlights: Bittern, Shelduck, Little Egret, Kestrel, Buzzard, Redshank, Jack Snipe, Iceland Gull, Caspian Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Raven, Rock Pipit, Skylark, Stonechat.
2-3 Bittern can be found on the main lake reed fringes, the reedbed channels or the reservoir lagoon. Lapwings are now displaying and starting to mark out territories across the marsh and main lake. Redpolls and Siskins can be searched for in any of the Alder trees along the south route or wildside. Small flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare can be watched most days flying over the reserve or feeding in the hedges. February has seen the highest counts of Shoveler this winter with most of the flock out on the flooded marsh, along with smaller numbers of Pintail, Wigeon and more unusual Gull species like Yellow-legged Gull. The Teal have been favouring the flooded wader scrape when not feeding on the river at low tide. There’s plenty of signs of spring with singing Reed Buntings, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Siskin and Robin.
Common Lizards: 1 adult and 3 juveniles found basking in sun on a tree stump in wildside, near to the reedbed in January.
Unseasonal flowering: Hazel catkins, Forget-me-Knot, Primrose, Common Field Speedwell, White and Red Dead-nettle, Buttercup, Common Knapweed, Marsh Marigold.
Bats: These are the last/first records of species recorded around the Peacock Tower in 2015 and 2016.
Last records for 2015: Nyctalus sp – 27th Dec, Common pipistrelle – 27th Dec, Soprano pipistrelle – 28th Dec, Nathusius’ pipistrelle – 27th Dec(a lot of activity in late Dec), Daubenton’s bat – 15th Dec.
First records for 2016: Soprano pipistrelle – 5th Jan, Daubenton’s bat – 6th Jan.
