BBC Springwatch is finally back on our tellies! It’s a great way to inspire people to get out and about to discover all the wildlife that lives near them. Here are some of the recent sightings from Fairburn from the last week.
Spring is well and truly here judging by the number of chicks around! A lot of you will have seen our blue tit chicks from the nest box camera; they are doing well even with the scares from a woodpecker trying to get into the nest box. Plenty of chicks can be seen on Main Bay and from Charlie’s Hide – shelduck, oystercatcher and even great-crested grebe chicks riding on their parents back. There have also been frequent sightings of a garganey from Charlie’s hide.
Great-crested grebe chick riding on parent's back - Chris Comersall (rspb-images.com)
Also spotted up at Charlie’s hide as well as at the screen are kingfishers! We’ve been treated to some great views of them this past week, with many people (myself included!) seeing their very first one! It’s well worth spending a bit of time at the Kingfisher screen to see if one puts in an appearance.
Kingfisher - John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
Down at Pickup hide there have been sightings of lapwings (I’ve now heard that sweet call in person!), ringed plovers, little ringed plovers and a jay has been seen on the feeders at both Pickup and the Feeder Screen. Lucky visitors have also had amazing views of a roe deer and its fawn in the long grass in the distance.
Roe deer - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Along the Discovery Trail pond dippers have been really successful, with plenty of tadpoles, great diving beetles and even a few newts! Plenty more dragonflies and damselflies are emerging and we have a few more butterflies around on sunny days such as small coppers. If you’re visiting us tomorrow (30 May), we have another Minibeast Safari running where you can learn more about different insects.
Yet again, I am ending this blog with a cuckoo. After finally hearing my first one last week, we have had visitors seeing or hearing a cuckoo almost daily, which is a real treat!