The last month has seen the arrival of some of our summer migrants back to the reserve. Tree pipits can be heard singing from the tops of lone pines on the heath and seen carrying out their “parachuting” display. The whitethroat’s scratchy song can be heard from the scrubby areas of heath, willow warblers in the heath margins and swallows have been seen flying over the reserve.
Species seen in the last few weeks and ones you should listen out for across the heath include woodlarks, which have been seen carrying food suggesting they have young in the nest. Stone chats can often be seen perching on top of the small pines across the heath and a male wheatear has been seen in the last few days.
2 curlews were reported flying off the reserve at the weekend, which is a first for the site!
On the decoy pond, the pair of grey wagtails can often be seen feeding or gathering nesting material and a pair of mandarin ducks were seen last week.
In the woodland you might be lucky to come across a lesser spotted woodpecker, they have been seen in the wet woodland near the boardwalks. Siskins have been seen feeding on the bird feeders in the car park. Nuthatches, tree creepers and gold crest continue to sing throughout the woods. Another summer migrant which will be back is the Blackcap which you might here sing in some of the scrubbier areas. Up to 5 buzzards have been seen carrying out their diving displays over the woodland in the last few weeks.
You may notice some bird boxes that have been put up across the site. These have been put up to help improve nesting availability for spotted flycatchers, a species that has alarmingly decreased by over 70% since the 1970s. They are a late summer migrant so keep your eyes peeled for them come may.
In other species news the first adder and slow worms were spotted warming up in the sun on the side of the main track from the car park and the first brimstone butterfly was reported to us. Keep an eye for more butterflies and summer migrants. (Slow worm)