Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 sightings at Coombes Valley this week!
1. Redstart
2. Pied flycatcher
3. Spotted flycatcher
4. Bluebells
5. Bugle
6. Germander speedwell
7. Crab-apple in flower
8. Speckled wood butterfly
9. Poplar hawkmoth
10. Ladybird
Redstart- One obliging pair has taken up residence in a tree stump visible from the path, to the right as you start up towards Buzzard Bank from the bottom of the valley.
Spotted flycatcher- A few visitors have reported sightings of spotted flycatchers, although they're recently arrived and so haven't fixed their territories yet.
Bluebells- There are some stunning patches of bluebells across the reserve (and in the Churnet as well!). Heading into the plantation from Buzzard Bank is a good place to spot them carpeting the ground beneath the trees.
Bluebells and greater stitchwort (Photo thanks to Simon Gray)
Bugle & Germander speedwell- Keep your eyes open for splashes of blue amongst the grass in the meadows! These are just two of the many wildflowers out across Coombes at the moment!
Crab-apple in flower- Rather a pretty pink sight just down the path from the car park, so we thought we'd mention it.
Speckled wood butterfly- These beautiful butterflies can be seen flitting about a short way down the path from the car park on sunny days, the speckles on their wings flashing in the sun.
Poplar hawkmoth- Fate was kind to us on our Open Day last Sunday; besides the sunny weather, we awoke to a huge hawkmoth in our moth trap! Lucky, as we then had a very impressive moth to show the visitors!
Open Day poplar hawkmoth (Photo thanks to Simon Gray)
Ladybird- Both Simon and Lizzie have seen ladybirds now (I'm beginning to feel left out!), our first of the year.