After a hectic Easter week here at Fairburn Ings I think its time for a sightings blog! Butterflies are once again in full flow this week with plenty of orange-tips as more and more wildflowers are brightening up our hedges. The big green leaves of the garlic mustard are definitely taking over hedgerows with their petite white cluster of flowers on the top, looking very disproportionate! When you crush the leaves apparently they smell of garlic so if you’re unsure of whether it is a garlic mustard try this tactic. Another pretty little plant I have seen this week is a common field speedwell, a very dainty little purple flower with darker purple veins leading to a white centre. They can be seen clinging to rocks up past the kingfisher screen and are certainly are a lovely little find in spring.
Common field speedwell
It’s the terns turn... there have been several sightings of common and arctic terns this week. These sea birds are what i’d call your ‘typical sea bird’ with a distinctive black cap, white and grey plumage, red beak and legs they are perfectly designed for sea life. If, like me, you struggle to tell your terns apart then the easiest way to tell is to look at the length of the legs and beak with the arctic tern being much smaller and shorter. The arctic tern has one of the longest migrations of any sea bird, choosing to spend its summers in the UK and winters in the Antarctic! So it gets the most summer daylight of any bird; what a little sun seeker! Many of these terns can be seen this time of year passing through Fairburn on their way to breeding sites along the coast so keep your eyes peeled.
Arctic tern – Chris Gomersall (rspb-images)
Redshanks have been seen this past week patrolling Charlie’s hide as they regularly peck for grubs and insects. They are real easy to spot with their spindly long red legs and long red beak. An interesting fact about redshanks is that they often return to the same site with the same partner for breeding, so it’s great they’ve chosen Fairburn! After joining in with the mini-beast safari’s and hearing all about damselflies I’ve been quite excited to see them emerging from our ponds on the discovery trail, so I was very excited when I read about our first damselfly of the year, the large red damselfly. Damselflies are amazing creatures; they spend most of their days underwater as a nymph before undergoing the dramatic change into a beautiful damselfly. So whilst you’re down at the platforms dipping for pond creatures spend a moment to have a look for these elegant gliders.
Redshank – Andy Hay (rspb-images)
Last Wednesday night a group of us went out to discover the amphibian situation here at Fairburn and we were delighted to find a number of common frogs and toads out and about amongst the paths after nightfall. They are quite difficult to spot, especially the small juveniles and after an hour everything seemed to look like a frog! After waking up from hibernation, there are quite a few amphibians hopping around this time of year, just need to keep your eyes open for them! So if you’re feeling full up with chocolate after your holidays and looking to get outdoors and see what wildlife has to offer this time of year... come join us at Fairburn Ings!
Common frog – Ben Andrew (rspb-images)