Recent sightings
The week started well with a cattle egret making friends with the newly-arrived cows in the field adjacent to the reserve near Bunker Screen. This herd will graze the wet grassland areas of the reserve once the breeding season is over.
Amongst the growing number of avocet chicks, a pair of Mediterranean gulls is another highlight on the Main Scrape. Single drake pintail and wigeon were unseasonal sightings, whilst common tern, little ringed plover, ruff and up to three dunlins were the other best picks around the water. A pair of little grebes have been prominent on Reception Pool this week, whilst the great-crested grebe pair still favours Bridge Pool.
The best of the warblers was a pair of lesser whitethroats nesting near the Burton Point railway bridge. Please be sensitive when viewing or photographing, keeping a sensible distance from the birds to avoid disturbance. A hobby was seen on a few occasions, whilst Saturday saw a marsh harrier fly over the scrape, sparking a keen reaction from the waders and gulls. Another unseasonal record was a short-eared owl seen from Burton Point flying over the saltmarsh.
The warm weather meant plenty of butterfly activity, including the nationally scarce wall brown, for which the reserve is a local stronghold. Common lizards continue to bask on the fence near the reedbed and the southern marsh orchids are now flowering, forming a pretty purple haze across the islands.
Star sighting
A week after the gull-billed tern’s first showing, a single adult black tern was found on Wednesday evening and showed well on and around the Main Scrape until dusk. Unfortunately there was no further sign of the bird on Thursday.
Black tern flying over Main Scrape (Chris Challoner)
Wardens’ wanderings
After the storms on Sunday evening, the ditches and culverts draining the reserve’s access track needed unblocking after they struggled to cope with the deluge. Various other infrastructure maintenance was done including painting the Burton Mere footbridge metalwork and cutting grass and scrub to clear paths, signage and views from screens.
Even some troubleshooting was needed after Sunday’s storm affected the site’s IT system, plus the retrieval of a giant pink metallic balloon from the far edge of Donkey Stand Flash at Parkgate! As last week, trips to the Point of Ayr to monitor birds nesting on the shingle beach, and offering support to the Gronant little tern project, are an important part of the reserve’s spring routine.
Get involved
June is definitely the month to focus on the reserve’s wealth of wildflowers, so if botany is your cup of tea, don’t miss our Orchids and Wildflowers guided walk on Wednesday 20 June; two hours exploring the reserve led by former assistant warden, Geoff, who is as knowledgeable about plants as he is birds.
If you prefer something a little broader and more varied, a Wildlife Wander could be for you; guided by a volunteer who will point out anything and everything of interest at the time, plus share the background and history of the reserve and its landscape.
Finally, it’s National Volunteer Week from 1-7 June, and we’re looking to grow our team to continue giving our growing number of visitors the best possible welcome as they arrive at Burton Mere Wetlands. If you're interested, get in touch on deeestuary@rspb.org.uk for more information.