Our cuckoo or cuckoos are officially back, heard for the first time this year on Friday 15 April in the morning and then seen just a couple of hours later at Hicksons. Also seen or heard across the site on both Sunday and Monday.
Down at Hicksons there were 9 avocets reported on Friday, growing to 15 on Saturday. 2 yellow wagtails on Thursday and then 9 seen on Saturday.
Yesterday saw 2 buzzards soaring low over the visitor centre – a beautiful sight against the gorgeous blue skies we had for most of the day. A wheatear across the flashes near to Lin Dike, green woodpeckers and a garden warbler along the Riverbank Trail. Closer to base a whitethroat has returned to the nettle and bramble patch by the Owl statue so fingers crossed this popular residential area will be hosting at least one new family this year. Just up the pathway by the paddock gate a singing Blackcap has arrived in the neighbourhood too.
100s of sandmartins are back in Fairburn village but none seen investigating our new wall at Pickup yet. Fingers still crossed!
As part of our Easter Family Fun Day Alan and Amanda ran 2 minibeast safaris, lots of butterflies to be seen including orange tip, green veined white, small tortoiseshell, peacock and speckled wood.
The moth trap the night before turned up hebrew characters, early grey, common quaker, northern drab and lesser swallow prominent. We normally put the moth trap out on Thursday night so if anyone is interested to know what we caught please feel free to ask. On that same note, as well as the usual summer moth night we're doing a new event in June specifically on hawkmoths - some of the most colourful and magnificent of all our moths, and hopefully getting a close look at a few from Fairburn too.