I've spent the last couple of days being informed and entertained at Beckingham by Michael, site manager, and Paul, site warden, on the RSPB's wet grassland training course, along with national and regional wetland advisors and an archaeologist. It was very informative and interesting to learn about the development of the reserve and how the techniques can be used on other sites. We had site visits each day and I saw the following wildlife:
Tuesday - a hobby spooking a flock of swallows, several meadow pipits, two juvenile yellow wagtails, and a short-tailed field vole.
Wednesday - 3 buzzards flew over, 2 sparrowhawks were buzzing a flock of about 100 goldfinches, a few yellow wagtails could be heard as they flew over, a reed bunting, a skylark, and the bird highlight was a juvenile wheatear sat on a low bush and then on a track, stopping off to feed on its migration south. Other wildlife was a brown hare and a common frog.