The first Cuckoo of the year was heard during the week at Broadwater Warren as well as the first common whitethroat. Willow warblers have started to be heard singing along the eastern track with several males displaying, blackcaps have also been seen in the scrub behind the car park. Chiffchaffs are being heard across the woodland as well as a lesser spotted woodpecker that was seen and heard calling near the veteran oak on Tuesday as well as a female at the zigzag boardwalk.
4 lapwing were seen flying over the western heath on Wednesday.
A new species for the reserve was seen last week with the report of a pair of peregrines flying over the reserve.
Tree pipits seem to be everywhere at Broadwater warren at the moment. Several have been seen at the crossroads, look out for their parachuting display flight across the heathland.
A few woodlarks continue to sing on the main and western heath, with at least two pairs been seen carrying food, confirming that we have chicks on the reserve already. Another bird seen carrying food is our pair of stonechats which are often seen on the Shooting butts. The grey wagtails continue to been seen feeding along the stream and around Decoy Pond. At least 3 pairs of yellowhammers continue to been seen on the scrub edges of the heathland and woodland.
Butterflies that have been seen in the past week on the wing include comma, brimstones, red admirals and peacocks and the first orange tip and holly blue.
(Cuckoo flower - the food plant of the orange tip butterfly)
This lesser swallow prominent moth was found in our moth trap during the week.
We carried out some newt surveys on decoy pond and some of the ponds found in the woods, several palmate newts were found, as well as a toad this morning on the main track near the pond.
With the warmer weather reptiles are beginning to be seen along the paths including common lizard, slow worm, grass snake and adder.
Please let us know of any interesting sightings you see on the reserve.