With the water levels still very low following a hot and dry summer, the opportunity to carry out some major re-landscaping work on the islands in the lagoons has been one not to be missed.
When the reserve was originally developed around the early 1990s, many areas were reshaped to the RSPB’s specification following the industrial process of dumping material on to the site that was dredged from the Conwy estuary during the construction of the A55 road tunnel. However certain areas were never shaped as well as they perhaps could have been, in particular the three islands at the eastern end of the deep lagoon which originally formed a causeway. Although the causeway was broken up, the embankments were never re-profiled and the steep sides never really provided the optimum habitat for water birds to feed and roost. They were also more difficult to keep free of the ever increasing succession of vegetation and had got to the point where they were largely over grown with willows and other tall plants, greatly reducing the viewing potential.
These islands have now been completely flailed and reshaped with a much flatter profile and shallow margins around the lagoon edges. Meanwhile the other islands around both the lagoons have all had the vegetation flailed along with a small amount of reshaping including the top layer of soil scraped off, again to slow the development of vegetation that has taken place over the years. It is hoped that these developments will improve the potential for birds to use the islands to feed, roost and potentially breed, as well as significantly improving views for visitors.
Fortunately the work doesn’t seem to have caused too much disturbance, with a good variety of wading birds consistently present around the lagoons over the past couple of weeks while the work has been taking place.
Wader highlights have included regular curlew sandpiper throughout the past month with a maximum of six present on several days during the last week of September. Little stint (library photo by Bob Garrett) and spotted redshank have also been regular with up to two of each present, two ruff were seen up until 10/9, and a jack snipe was noted on 3/10.
Other highlights around the reserve have included some good raptor sightings with a marsh harrier reported on 26/9 and merlin on 2/10. Great white egrets have been regularly seen again with a maximum of four birds on 9/10, a Mediterranean gull was noted on 8/9, and pintail have been present a little more often than usual with a maximum of five birds on 8/10.
Some of the last summer migrants during September included a spotted flycatcher reported on 6/9 and two wheatear on 14/9, while signs of the oncoming winter season have included the first choughs over the reserve with 11 birds on 30/9, and the first redwings with four seen on 2/10.
Other waders of interest have included regular greenshank, black-tailed godwit and ringed plover in small numbers, along with a knot on 13/9, and a bar-tailed godwit on 9/10. Common sandpiper were noted up until 21/9 while snipe continue to be seen and will remain over the winter season.
Numbers of wildfowl have been noticeably building up as we move further towards winter with wigeon and teal now well into the hundreds. Goosander have occasionally been seen including a maximum of five on 17/9, while small numbers of shoveler have also been present along with a single pochard. Meanwhile water rails continue to be seen regularly, and there have again been occasional sightings of kingfisher.
Other passerines of interest have included at least two Cetti’s warblers, several goldcrests, occasional sightings of stonechat and a recent influx of meadow pipits feeding around the lagoon edges following the digger work.
With the insect season drawing to a close, some notable recent butterfly sightings included another painted lady on 7/9, a small copper on 29/9 (pictured), a specked wood on 1/10 which may be one of the last of the season, and occasional red admirals which continue to be seen. A vapourer moth on 22/9 was notable with only one previous reserve record of an adult and two records of caterpillars.
Dragonflies have once again included regular migrant hawkers along with occasional southern hawker and common darter.