Dee Estuary

After all the wet and windy weather this summer we have finally had a few hot days.  This has led to increased butterfly sightings and the Common Lizards have been sunning themselves.

Common Lizard                                                                        photo J. Hewitt

Star Sightings 

Only one Avocet remains, but the Little Egrets have been seen gathering on the around the pool in numbers.

Little Egrets                                                            Photo…

 Summer has finally arrived at BMW, and all are enjoying the warm sunny weather.  The young birds are fledging, and the Butterflies, Moths and Dragonflies finally being seen more often. On the Mere the waterlilies are providing a fine display.

Star Sightings 

The Avocets are now assembling in numbers on the main scrape, prior to moving south.  Many of the UK breeding birds winter on the estuaries around South Wales and…

The weather hasn’t been what we expect in June, not all wet but chilly and windy most of the time. This has meant that the sightings of Butterflies and Dragonflies have been restricted to the better weather periods, but a lot of our photographer visitors have been busy getting photos of some more unusual insect species hiding in the lush vegetation. Amongst the vegetation Marsh Orchids, Bee Orchids and a Pyramidal Orchid…

The recent changeable and at times very wet weather has not prevented some good sightings on the reserve. This includes Butterflies, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Lizards, as well as Yellow Flag Iris and many Marsh Orchids.

Yellow Flag Iris and many Marsh Orchids by S.Ryde

Birds of Prey are being seen regularly, including our breeding Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, and an occasional fly past of…

Despite the devastation caused by the Badger on the main scrape birds are still being recorded in good numbers on the reserve. All the common warblers are being heard as you walk the footpaths and the some more unusual visitors have been noted.

Other than the birds, visitors can look out for the lizards, butterflies and dragonflies which are showing well, and we are seeing the start of the Orchid season.

Star Sighti…

Monday morning in Burton Mere Wetlands’ office always means reflecting on the prior week, and weekend in particular. However, as enjoyable as the first true taste of summer has been, the weather was far from the most significant feature of the past weekend.

It is impossible to ignore the fact that the classic spring scene of the main scrape and its surrounds diminished over the past few days. After suspicions that…

Posted on behalf of Sheila Ryde - Communications Volunteer

The weather in the last two weeks of April was not very spring like, but our breeding birds are around in good numbers.  The first youngsters are about with families of Mallard, Coot, Long-tailed Tits and the first Lapwing chick has been seen. The Black-headed Gulls are sitting on the islands on the main scrape, together with a around six pairs of Mediterranean…

As usual in the UK, the main topic of conversation seems to revolve around the weather. Is it just my imagination or has there been none stop cold, high winds coming in from the North for the whole month? We’ve certainly felt it in the Visitor Centre, and there has been many a day when the fire has been on. I don’t want to think what it must have been like for an Avocet to attempt to breed in this weather…

Easter is here, often marking the start of a busy spring season for Burton Mere Wetlands. As migrant birds roll in, bluebells bloom and – hopefully, at least – the weather warms and dries up a bit, inevitably people want to spend more time immersed in the joys of nature at a welcoming reserve like ours.

However, the team have somewhat appreciated the slight March lull after an incredibly busy second half of…

It certainly feels like Spring has sprung, and the colder winter days are now hopefully behind us. The wildlife on the reserve has started to react to the warmer weather and there is lots of birdsong to be heard, whilst there are increasing numbers of breeding birds right across the reserve. The vegetation is showing signs of life after the long winter, and we have the flowering of the bluebells to look forward to in…

Is it too late to wish you a Happy New Year? Probably, but Happy New Year nevertheless.

Anyway, January has been a real mixed bag for weather, with some freezing spells, some warm(ish) spells but the most noticeable thing has been the storms that have battered the UK through the month. The storms have had a big effect on the reserve and the birdlife – more of which to come later.    

Hopefully, by the time the next…

Reserve Round-Up – Week Commencing 11 December 2023

Has it stopped raining yet? It seems that the last couple of weeks have been nothing but wet, wet, wet. This seemingly never-ending rain has been occasionally punctuated by some freezing cold spells, leading to short periods of ice on the reserve. It has to be expected in December, I suppose! As I write this, it’s a truly beautiful day, sunny and crisp, so let…

Posted on behalf of James Smith - Visitor Experience Assistant 

Recent Sightings

For many people, the period where we move from Autumn into Winter is the most exciting for wildlife sightings on the Dee Estuary and Burton Mere Wetlands. This is because many species of passage birds will be using the wider reserve to rest and refuel, whilst many winter visitors will be arriving, often in great numbers, to call the estuary…

The memory will never leave me; stepping up to my kitchen window and catching sight of the thick, dark plume rising ominously into the crystal blue sky of a fine early spring evening, I knew instantly the smoke’s origin and lurched into a primal fight or flight response.

Once the dust had settled and media fuss faded, the subsequent 18 months since the devastating fire destroying the majority of Neston Reedbed have…

Reception Pool in 2017 (A.Grubb)

It’s that time of year again when breeding season for Burton Mere Wetlands’ priority ground-nesting wetland birds is over, but by no means does anything slow down. Quite the opposite, as the crucial habitat management work that takes a spring break to avoid impacting birds’ nesting, enters its busy autumn regime.

Not helped by the recent unseasonal weather, the summer…

Recent sightings

Well, the weather over the last couple months had us all wishing we were ducks, paddling about in the cool water. Finally, the last couple weeks it has turned a little cooler and we’ve had some much-needed rain. I’m sure all your garden wildlife and flowers will be grateful. One of the best things you can do during those scorching days is to pop a small shallow “birdbath” out  for…

Recent sightings

It has been a great spring so far, especially for nesting Lapwing and Redshank. With half-grown chicks running around the wet grassland area and the first Avocet chicks have now hatched with more nests at the far end of the reserve viewable from the Border hide. 

Speaking of chicks, our heronry has been causing a real stir for the visitors, with Grey Heron chicks already fledging. Then the Little Egrets can still…

It’s an overdue first blog of the year, with lots of delightful winter sightings offering plenty of reasons to visit, plus other work and news to share.

Recent sightings

After a settled, dry start to the month, we’ve had some persistent winds followed by this week's cold snap, making it at times more appealing to stay at home. Despite that, the birds have been on top form, with often a brilliant array of waders…

The year has flown by and we've reached another Christmas; we're open for the majority of the festive season, with just a couple of days off and a couple of early closes. See the details in the image below.

Work on our new cafe has finished until the New Year, with the concrete poured this week for the base on which the modular building will sit. There are four days early in the new year when the reserve will…

Recent Sightings

After the breathless start to autumn captured in our last round-up blog, October at Burton Mere Wetlands has continued to deliver excellent birdwatching along with unseasonably mild, and relatively dry weather.

With water levels still held low to aid the wardens' cutting of the wet grassland, the shallow scrape, pools and exposed mud have attracted growing flocks of lapwings, snipe, black-tailed …

After weeks of anticipation, the groundwork started this week on preparing the site for the installation of our new, prefabricated modular cafe. Contractors arrived on Monday, and the main tasks so far have been setting up their fenced compound to keep everybody safe, and building a new vehicle access track for occasional use by the wardens to access the wetlands, replacing the route lost due to the cafe's situation.…

It’s been a good while since our last reserve round-up blog, purely due to such a busy summer of visitors and work beginning on our exciting café build. If you don’t already, it’s worth checking in on our Facebook or Twitter accounts – search RSPB Burton Mere for both – for daily updates on what’s happening on the reserve, including bird sightings.

Recent Sightings

It’s been…

It’s been years in the making, but we’re delighted to be nearing the delivery of the latest project we’ve been developing to offer more to Burton Mere Wetlands’ loyal visitors - and hopefully plenty of new ones in the years ahead.

Part of a national RSPB project, we are one of four reserves having a café installed (or in Conwy’s case, an expansion and improvement of their existing one) through…

Recent sightings

With the daylight at its longest as we pass by the summer solstice, the reserve is open late into the evening to enjoy all the wonderful summer sights and sounds around us. Orchids are a highlight of June, there’s been an abundance of southern marsh orchids, a few spotted orchids and only a couple of bee orchids this year. The Farmland Trail has been a good spot to find them and our volunteer Tom got…

Recent Sightings

As we reach June and the beginning of summer, the excitement of the spring migration may wane but the reserve still offers a wide range of wildlife to enjoy when visiting.

Avocets are one of the reserve's star breeding birds, with over seventy pairs recorded nesting across Burton Mere Wetlands this year and several half-grown chicks now readily watched from the comfort of the visitor centre, or equally…