Forward - Spike Mayston
Juliette is one of two residential volunteers here at RSPB Old Moor. Our residential volunteers give up their valuable time so that they can gain some practical knowledge and experience in managing a nature reserve. Being a residential volunteer is a great way to fill up CVs with professional training qualifications and practical experience so that they can pursue a career in conservation.
Indeed, all of our previous residential volunteers have landed jobs, the last being Alex, who is currently in the Farne Islands doing some crucial survey work on sea birds - I know, living the dream!
I hope that you enjoy Juliette's blog.
A few weeks back, as I was walking around the reserve, it suddenly dawned on me how quiet it was. I could hear the harsh click clacking of juvenile robins and their parents and the rustle of mistle thrushes foraging for food. Something had changed. I'm Juliette, one of the new residential interns at RSPB Old Moor. When I moved in a couple of months ago, the beautiful chorus of black headed gulls filled the air and I spent my mornings monitoring bittern feeding flights and keeping a close eye out for the first signs of juvenile marsh harriers. Now that we are into August, many of the birds who breed on our sites have departed, although some a year-long residents, and we are beginning to see an influx of migratory birds feeding on the mud flats.
Here is a list of some of the species that bred on the eight RSPB sites here in the Dearne.
Black headed gulls – circa 2-2500 breeding birds
Avocet – circa 20 breeding pairs
Marsh harrier – 1 pair and 4 juveniles
Bittern – 3 successful nests
Great crested grebe – still currently breeding
Barn owl
Shelduck
Little grebe
Bittern - Gerald Lax
Avocet with Chick - Gerald Lax
Juvenile Marsh Harrier - Gerald Lax
Here is a list of some of the recent sightings at Old Moor:
Dunlin – the majority of which are coming from more northern areas where they breed and travelling to West Africa
Black tailed godwit – the majority of which are migrating to Africa for the winter
A great white egret – visiting from Ham Wall
5 spoonbills – one with a ring, that was born in the Netherlands, and has also visited Spain recently!
Greenshank – the majority of which breed up in the north of Scotland and are now migrating to Africa for the winter
Juvenile Dunlin - Gerald Lax
Black-tailed Godwit - Gerald Lax
Greenshank - Gerald Lax
As well as the bird species, the landscape and other wildlife is changing. The blankets of goats roux, marsh orchids and common knapweed that once filled the banks and meadows are now going to seed and instead you can spot birds foot trefoil, purple loosestrife and wild carrot.
Wild Carrot - Juliette Coloca
Birds-foot trefoil - Juliette Coloca
Purple Loosestrife - Juliette Coloca
The meadows and ponds are alive with damselflies and dragonflies darting around, including ruddy darters, brown hawkers, blue tailed damselflies and red eyed damselflies. Check out David Pritchards 'Weird and Wonderful World of Dragonflies' series of blogs Weird and Wonderful World of Dragonflies
female common darter emerging - David Pritchard
In a month or so, the warden team will be busy managing the habitat including adjusting the water level, clearing scrub and installing predator fences. Watch this space to find out more about what we've been up to.
If you would like to find out more about residential volunteers you can find out more by following this link:
Residential Volunteering with the RSPB