This time of year is very busy for the wardening staff with regular surveys being carried out across the site. We regularly monitor numbers of breeding waders and warblers here on the Dee Estuary which means a lot of walking early in the morning. If you do see a tired-looking warden, please be friendly!
One of the areas I survey for breeding waders is at the rear of the Ministry of Defence firing range that can be seen from Burton Point. But this means I have to be off the salt marsh before they start shooting at 9am! It’s great to be out there though when everyone else is waking up. This time I was treated to a great show from two great white egrets and common terns flying around me, as well as the usual waders found on the marsh. Also we have been counting singing warblers across the site, with sedge warblers seeming a lot more vocal this month.
This year we have also reinstated and extended our butterfly transect across the site. This is my first year of counting butterflies, which has really made me aware of how many can be found at Burton Mere. Although conditions haven’t been perfect for butterflies we have still seen orange tips, holly blue, brimstone, peacock, comma, small tortoiseshell and small copper and importantly for Cheshire; the wall brown. I’m expecting this list to increase with the emergence of species such as gatekeeper and meadow brown.
Wall brown butterfly (J.Langley)
We have also started a survey for reptiles and amphibians to get a grasp of what we have on the site. The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust donated a number of dark mats for us to place around the site which will be checked weekly for species such as common lizard, common toad, common frog, and various newts. Will we be surprised with any grass snakes?
Common lizard (J.Langley)
The work carried out across the site reduces, due to disturbance, but staff and volunteers have been busy at Point of Ayr to anticipate the arrival of breeding terns and waders on the shingle ridge. This year a team of 12 descended on the site to erect temporary electric fencing pens, and as always the sun was shining (it is Wales after all!). It was a long day but we managed to achieve more than normal and created a second penned site to increase our area of protection. Our volunteers are a dedicated bunch, they spent a full day at Point of Ayr hammering fence posts into shingle. This came a week after doing the same for our colleagues at the Gronant little tern colony, but they were treated to fly-bys of little terns and very close views of arctic skua.
Installing electric fence at the Point of Ayr (J.Langley)
This week has also brought about the biggest rarity for Burton Mere Wetlands for at least a year. I received a text from our site manager Colin at 7:30am, ‘Just found a buff-breasted sandpiper at Marsh Covert, it’s going to be a busy day,’ and that was not an understatement. I’ve never seen so many people, cameras and scopes in the Marsh Covert hide. It was a great bird though and a new species for me. To see the hide full of excited people was brilliant.
Marsh Covert hide during the buff-breasted sandpiper twitch (J.Langley)
Other recent highlights from around the site include spoonbills, great white egrets, common tern, avocet, and yellow wagtail. For those wishing to spend a little more time at the site, a yellowhammer has also been seen occasionally over our neighbour’s fields from the back of the bunker hide. The site is also starting to become colourful with various wildflowers starting to bloom. These include cuckooflower/lady’s smock, green alkanet, southern marsh orchids, and marsh marigolds.