Wildlife sightings for 6th March 2013
2 Shelduck - scrape
191 Teal - scrape, marsh
50+ Wigeon - on site
3 Snipe - scrape
Additional sightings from yesterday:
6+ Snipe - marsh
50+ Fieldfare - playing fields
3+ Stonechat - marsh, perched on the fox fence
1 Reed Bunting - singing on marsh
1 Brimstone butterfly - seen near the otters
2 7-spot ladybird - marsh
1 2-spot ladybird - marsh
Recent bird highlights: Smew, Shelduck, Bittern, Peregrine, Dunlin, Woodcock, Skylark, Bearded Tit, Stonechat.
At least 2 Bitterns can be found at present (with 6 recorded early February), showing up anywhere in the reed fringes of the main lake, sheltered lagoon or reservoir lagoon. Rather more unusual have been a few sightings out on the marsh where there’s some good channels of Sedge and Loosestrife for the Bittern to hunt along.
Small Wigeon flocks can be found grazing through the marsh fields or along the wader scrape bank where the grass sward has been kept nice and short by the cattle grazing in the autumn.
Occasional sightings of Bearded Tit on the marsh continue into February. Keep listening out for the distinctive ‘pinging’ calls. They favour the dense stands of old, tall Purple Loosestrife to hide and feed in, but have also been seen in the main reedbed.
Very good numbers of Fieldfare continue since January with some birds roosting on the reserve and searching out the few berries left over from a poor fruiting year generally. Some days have seen in excess of 400 birds flying over.
The first pairs of Mute Swan have started to display to each other, and most of the Canada Geese are paired up and becoming very vocal in their own territorial displays. Lapwing are already showing signs of splitting into pairs and holding territory. Listen out for the early spring chorus of Song Thrush, Great Tit, Wren and Robin as things slowly start to warm up.
Flowering plants: Snowdrops, Crocus, Daffodil, Blackthorn, Silver Birch catkins, Red Dead Nettle.
Water Voles: best place to see one would be one of the ponds near the Pond Zone building or ‘Down the Sewer’ exhibit, or along the south route ponds.
