As spring turns to summer (honest, that was summer we've experienced this week), the focus of our attention moves from breeding birds to the wild flowers. Stars of this week's show are the orchids. These are a special type of flower, and we have found three species this year: common spotted orchids, southern marsh orchids (new to the reserve) and bee orchids (photographed here by visitor Dylan Edwards). It seems to have been a good year for bee orchids, not just here but at other sites too. We have counted more than 30 spikes (stems), which is twice as many as we had last June. And each spike can have half a dozen flowers - one here a couple of years ago had 11 flowers on a single spike. Ask at the Visitor Centre about where to look - but please take care, especially if you're photographing them, as they can be easily trampled.
The young stoats have started to make more regular appearances, play-fighting along the estuary path this morning, and we've had reports of both weasel and polecat (which would be a reserve first) in the last couple of weeks, so do let us know your mammal sightings.
The stormy weather brought a sanderling in with a small group of dunlins this morning, a rare bird here, but especially in June, when it should be nesting in the Arctic. A smart black-tailed godwit was here earlier in the week, and the little ringed plovers are still around. A female teal was a wintry surprise on the waterbird count on Monday (4th), while a single snipe has been spotted several times through May and into June. A red kite was over the reserve earlier in the week (4th), while a Sandwich tern and whimbrel were here last Sunday (3rd).
Our Jubilee Discovery Trail has proved popular with families this week; so popular, in fact, that we're keeping it out a bit longer. So, come and follow the trail - and earn yourself a special Diamond Jubilee Badge.
Julian HughesSite Manager, Conwy