Breaking news from the lagoon this afternoon: while we've only been seeing a single little ringed plover chick for the last 10 days, there are definitely two, and they're both now half grown. With another pair nesting elsewhere on the lagoon, we're keeping our fingers crossed for a successful season. Our Wildlife Guides also spotted a well-grown lapwing chick this morning, which we hadn't seen previously in the long grass, and there .
This morning there were plenty of fledglings about - lots of robins, dunnocks and blue tits that have almost certainly hatched here, but a young redstart on the Ganol trail had more likely come from the woods higher up the valley. On the lagoons were three bar-tailed godwits that were first seen here yesterday, plus a single dunlin - up to eight have been here each day this week - and more teal are appearing daily. A red kite was a treat this morning, though less surprising than a huge goshawk that stormed across the reserve yesterday evening, hunting one of the many juvenile starlings that are feeding here at the moment. There are lots of house martins visiting the muddy edges of our lagoons this week, collecting pellets to build their amazing nests - did you know that each 'cup' is made up of 1000 little balls of mud?
Earlier in the week, highlights include wheatear (Friday and Wednesday), water rail (on Wednesday evening's guided walk), a juvenile grey wagtail (Sunday and Tuesday), but the award for top bird goes to a female red-backed shrike that was found here on Saturday, and stayed just for the afternoon. Only the second reserve record, it's only a couple of years since the first.
A nice surprise for today's guided walk was a water shrew along the estuary track, while a female stoat and 6 young were scampering their way along the rocks this morning.
We've been busy uploading events to our website today, so here are are few to put in your diary
- Tuesday 21 June, Summer Solstice Walk (booking required)
- Saturday 2 July, Strawberry Walk (booking required)
- Saturday 9 July - Bat and Moth Evening (booking required)
- Sunday 10 July - Bioblitz! Day
- Saturday and Sunday 30/31 July - 100 Walkers (will you do a sponsored walk to raise funds for the reserve?)
- Saturday 6 August - Kate Doubleday Band Hide-Away Tour (booking required)
- Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 August - 100th Birthday Party and Summer Fayre
We think there's something for everyone in here: wildlife, walking, music and cake. What more could you want for the summer?!
Julian HughesSite Manager, Conwy