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Amy L

One of our volunteers known to many as ‘Stan The Man’ shared with me some of his excellent photographs today. Many he had taken on the reserve this morning. So this blog is a bit of a guest blog to share these pictures with you.

Bittern Hide has been busy with sightings this morning with four otters being seen at 6.45 am.  Bitterns have been showing really well from Bittern Hide and Island Mere Hide throughout the week. A bittern has been showing really well today from Bittern Hide and a water rail with her chicks crossed in front of the hide. Stan managed to get a few pictures of the water rail chick.

In the skies over the reedbed in front of Bittern Hide two hobbys, a cuckoo and marsh harriers have all been seen today.

The pond has been another hot spot on the reserve with the water vole showing well and a hairy dragonfly entertaining the visitors. Stan managed to get some lovely photographs of our friendly water vole earlier this month.

Stan also managed to capture the head of this common frog popping his head up to see what all the Springwatch commotion is about! A great photo I’m sure you’ll agree and a lovely sighting to hear about as throughout all the pond dipping sessions over the Easter period we didn’t see many signs of frogs only lots of newts.

A purple heron has been the talk of the sightings list today being seen early this morning in the reedbed by Island Mere and again this afternoon in a pool behind Wildlife Lookout Hide. Many visitors were keen to see this infrequent guest to our reserve but the purple heron hid in the reedbed for most of the afternoon teasing the visitors and staff!

The Scrape has been a hub of activity again today with 26 sanderling, 10 ringed plover, common tern, little tern, dunlin and black and bar-tailed godwits all been easily seen from the hides. There are now many black headed gull chicks, lapwing chicks, ducklings and the first few avocet chicks to be seen also. 

There have been some interesting reports of invertebrates today with a cream spotted tiger moth seen between the Public Viewpoint and The Sluice. This one was thought to be newly emerged as we have not had reports of them until today. Many large jawed orb spiders (banana spiders) were seen in the nettles between Wildlife Lookout and South Hide and many butterflies have been flitting around in the sun. We were very lucky to have some unusual visitors in reception also, brought in by a lovely family who are regular visitors. The family are involved in a captive breeding programme of glanville fritillary butterflies being bred as part of a project before being released into the wild. The family had already had great success with their breeding programme having already released around 30.  

And finally one more of Stan’s pictures. Do you remember the short eared owl sighted in front of North Hide back in March? Stan was one of the lucky people to get a really good view of the owl and take a great picture too!

All photos by Stan Pyke