Hello from Exminster,
Firstly welcome to the reserve to our new residential volunteers Laura and Phill, whom you will hear from on this blog over the coming weeks. There have been other new arrivals too with more Lapwing chicks hatching since last week, along with mallard chicks and Canada geese chicks. That’s just within the predator fence on Powderham Marsh.
As the spring progresses the grass grows ever longer and the job of keeping it under control starts. This week we have strimmed the car park, footpath along the east side of Lions Rest Estate, coincidently a good location to listen out for bird song, and in front of the viewing platform at Bowling Green Marsh, ensuring the view over the estuary remains clear. Getting to grips with the strimmer was a challenge at first, but it is actually quite fun once you get the hang of it
We spent some more time at Bowling Green, finishing of fencing that was started last week and installing non-slip strips to the decking outside the hide. There are still good numbers of waders observable from the hide, with whimbrel, godwits, dunlin, knot, oystercatchers, redshanks and greenshanks, among others, being reported.
Cuckooflower (left), pair of orange tips (right) courtesy RSPB community photos
Come down Turf Path on Exminster Marshes on a sunny day and you will see butterflies fluttering overhead and along the edges. Whilst undertaking a butterfly transect we saw good numbers of orange tips thanks in part to the abundance of cuckooflower, on which their larva feed, in the adjoining fields and edges. The small white or pink flower is so named as their appearance is thought to coincide with the arrival of cuckoos. Keep an eye out for those and others.
Have a good weekend, bye for now.
Andrew W