This week finally saw migration get going: sedge warbler (Sat 17th) and lesser whitethroat (17th) were new in this week, and the willow warblers and blackcaps finally started to arrive in number. Another yellow wagtail (today, 18th) was on the saltmarsh with a wheatear, and the prize for most colourful bird of the week must go to the smart male redstart, found by our optics guru Chris (on his day off, 16th). White wagtails continue to feed on the saltmarsh insects at high tide, with a peak of 35 on Thursday (18th).
Our pair of great crested grebes haven't yet started building another nest after losing their first in bad weather, but a third singleton has arrived on the lagoon. A few black-tailed godwits have been seen each day, including a colour-ringed bird outside the coffee shop, and a single bar-tailed godwit has been present for several days. A few snipe are still hanging around, and the single female goldeneye remained until Friday (16th), at least.
And in case you were wondering, the two bright orange waterbirds are about 70% ruddy shelduck, but they've got the genes of some other ducks or geese in them. Many visitors yesterday saw a vixen with a couple of cubs on the reserve. She's got a noticeable limp and a scar on her head, suggesting she's been involved in a fight with another mammal, perhaps a badger. It's nice to see mammals on the reserve, though we hope they keep clear of our lapwings - there are seven sitting on nests at the moment.
The sunny weather has brought out the butterflies - brimstone (today), comma, peacocks and small tortoiseshells have all put in appearances this week, and the cowslips on the bank outside the coffee shop look fantastic.
Julian HughesSite Manager, Conwy