The colours of Summer

Twenty-three years ago, when the first warden Dave Elliott, stood on the bare mud that would open to visitors just three years later, could he have imagined what an amazing home for all sorts of nature RSPB Conwy would become? "It looked like the moon," he says, describing the three million tonnes of mud from the estuary that he needed to turn into a great place for wildlife.

This week, I stood on the footpath near the new(ish) Vardre Viewpoint: a sedge warbler carried insects into a nest hidden in the reeds that we planted just a couple of years ago, a lesser redpoll called softly as it dropped into a small tree (are they nesting here, we wonder?), and in the wet ground, dozens of pink flowers were emerging from the ground: orchids.  Just brilliant - the reserve looks amazing at the moment with so many colourful flowers.

I started to count the orchids, and within 15 minutes had counted over 1000 southern marsh orchids; there was also an early marsh orchid, and scattered around the reserve are several dozen bee orchids.  A visitor reported in our sightings book that they had spotted northern marsh orchid too; we'd love more details, as that species hasn't been previously recorded here - please get in touch if you've seen them here.

Another visitor, Graham Mathieson, has been taking lots of flower photos while he's been walking the reserve trails, and this week photographed this goat's-beard, a flower that we don't see often, but has been identified here previously. We always love to see your photos, and thanks to those who share them on Flickr, enabling us to use them on our blogs and social media.

This morning, we saw the first green sandpiper of the season, a sign of southbound autumn migration. I hesitate to use the word 'autumn' when we've not yet passed the summer solstice, and have only so far managed three days of a Welsh summer since April. But for birds, once their breeding season is over, it's a race back to their winter quarters, or a stop-off somewhere safe that they can moult their feathers. This week, we have seen pochards, shovelers and teal on the lagoons, none of which breed here, so also on their autumn journeys.

We also have several hundred Canada geese that have arrived from other wetlands in North Wales to moult their feathers, and among them a few greylag geese and a bar-headed goose, which is an annual visitor here each summer, but of feral origin. Also presumed to be of feral origin (i.e. its predecessors escaped, but they now live in the wild) were a family party of snow geese here briefly on Saturday (6th)

Meanwhile, our warblers are busy feeding their young, the great crested grebe chick is now too big to hitch a ride on Mum's back, and there are at least two, perhaps three, little grebe chicks also on the Shallow Lagoon.

Lots of people have been asking about our stoats, but we have only had a few sightings this week, and none recently of any family groups. We'll post news on Twitter and Facebook if that changes.

There have been plenty of insects flying in the warmer weather, with common blue butterflies especially abundant this year.  We've also had a few azure damselflies on the ponds this week, and large red damselflies too.

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we have a few special events lined up over the summer. The first is a performance by Kate Doubleday and her folk band, who are playing in The LookOut on Friday 26 June as part of the Flutter tour - there are a limited number of tickets available, so please give us a ring soon to get yours.  The other is our big birthday bash, on the weekend of 25/26 July - we have lots of things lined up, which we'll be revealing over the next few weeks, so make a date in your diary to come and join the fun.