After the rush of Spring migration, nature is now settling into its breeding season. Some of our waterbirds have chicks, and it's a delight to watch the two stripy-headed great-crested grebe chicks poking their heads from beneath the parental wings, soliciting food. Thanks to Rita Jones for sharing her photo with us on Flickr. A little grebe brood has also hatched, and unwilling to give their young a free ride, the parent birds are keeping their chicks close to - or within - the reedbed to avoid hungry predators. Both grebe families are on the Shallow Lagoon and can be watched from the Tal-y-fan Hide or the boardwalk viewpoint. One brood of mallards has already fledged, tufted ducks are secreting themselves away in the long grass, and a couple of male gadwall are hanging around, so perhaps their mates are nesting.
All our warblers are now busy building nests or feeding young, and as a result, many have already stopped singing. A few garden warblers, blackcaps and a lesser whitethroat are still in full voice. 150 shelducks are still in the estuary, not yet ready to head into the hills to find a rabbit burrow in which to nest.
Scarce visitors this week include 13 Sandwich terns on Monday (16th), two white wagtails (Sunday 15th), and grasshopper warbler, red kite, siskins, osprey and spotted flycatcher on Saturday (14th).
Birds heading farther north are still on the move, however, particularly waders heading for Iceland, or even farther. Whimbrel numbers have dwindled, but small groups of ringed plovers and dunlins can be found on the estuary, a flock of black-tailed godwits have been present since Sunday (15th) and a few curlews are here too. A sanderling and turnstone were brief visitors on Wednesday (11th), and grey plover and a bar-tailed godwit were on the estuary on Monday (9th). A single snipe has been on the shallow lagoon for several weeks, perhaps it's not planning to leave.
Insects have been notably scarce on our weekly transect surveys, with just a couple of bumblebees and only a handful of butterflies. Peacock, small tortoiseshell, brimstone, orange-tip, speckled wood and holly blue have been seen during the week, and we found a mating pair of large red damselflies while pond-dipping with a school group on Monday (16th). A hairy shieldbug was the first record we have on the reserve since 2002.
A stoat was carrying a tiny young kit (they move their families from den to den when young), and we've had more sightings of weasels than usual. Take a look in the ponds too, as there are smooth newts, as well as frogs and toads.
If you've read this far, you're obviously as passionate about wildlife as we are. And we're looking for someone with that passion, and practical conservation skills, to be our next Warden. Sarah, who has been our Warden since 2011, is off to Orkney, to help manage RSPB Scotland's nature reserves there. If you, or someone you know, has the skills and enthusiasm, please see our website. And good luck to Sarah, and thank you for everything you have done.
If your passion is for food and for great customer service, we're also recruiting an Assistant Catering Manager for the Coffee Shop with, we think, one of the best views in Wales. See our website for details of that too.
Finally, visitors to the reserve last Wednesday may have spotted Wales' favourite meteorologist Derek Brockway filming an episode of his next BBC series of Weatherman Walking. He guided Nicki Cockburn, who is a keen birdwatcher, with a strong spirit of adventure, even though she has been blind since birth. Nicki discovered birds thanks to a visit to RSPB Conwy ten years ago, and visited regularly while living in Llandudno. She now lives and works in Cardiff, but enjoyed being back at Conwy, where she got to hear her second and third favourite bird sounds, lapwing and oystercatcher. The programme will be broadcast over the Winter.
Julian HughesSite Manager, Conwy