If I could write a fanfare I would be doing it now, after another excellent spring for our rarer breeding birds. To add to the breeding success of the spoonbills, black-necked grebes and bearded tits we had our first sighting of a pair of juvenile bitterns on the 19th July. What a day to choose to make an appearance, the very day Chris Packham was on site as part of his bioblitz tour, talk about timing!
Juvenile bitterns - Joe Seymour
A sighting of an infrequent visitor over the last 2 weeks was that of a yellow-legged gull. Gulls are a family of birds which often go overlooked due to the difficulty in identifying some species, especially with the variety of plumages related to age. The yellow-legged gull is closely related to the herring gull and they were treated as the same species at one time, but it is now regarded as a species in its own right. One of the key features of distinguishing a yellow-leg from a herring gull is the red ring around the eye.
Yellow-legged gull - Jon Evans
Coal Tips
Apart from the juvenile bittern sighting the female was also seen on a couple of occasions. A single black-necked grebe was seen with 3 juveniles on the west lagoon, views are distant. Common gulls have arrived back at big hole, as well as sightings of yellow-legged gulls on the 26th and 27th. Two grey partridges were seen on the tips on the 25th July and a whimbrel was seen flying overhead in a westerly direction on the 26th July. Yellowhammers are seen regularly around the riverbank trail, and if you can’t see them you will most definitely here them during these bright sunny days we’re enjoying.
Juvenile lesser black-backed gull - Pete M
Main Bay / Village bay
The area around the feeding platform is having its fair share of birds with the water level dropping, including grey wagtail, wood sandpiper, green sandpiper, common sandpiper and avocets. A kingfisher was also noted on 19th July.
The watchfull eye of mother mallard - Pete M
Up to five dunlin, four little-ringed plover, two ringed plover and six green sandpipers have been seen on main bay.
Village bay has produced two garganey on the 25th July and also a juvenile on the 23rd July, a red-crested pochard hybrid was also seen on the 23rd.
Juvenile avocet - Keith Boyer
Flashes / Lin Dike
Now the juvenile spoonbills have fledged this is the best area to get the best views, an adult has been seen feeding on cedrics pool, and all 4 juveniles have been seem on spoonbill flash, giving good views from lin dike hide. Up to 14 black-tailed godwits have been noted on various days, and the whooper swan is fast becoming a resident.
Black-tailed godwit - Keith Boyer
Other wader sightings have been of a single wood sandpiper, three redshank, five snipe, greenshank, three common sandpiper, two ringed plover, little ringed plover, green sandpiper, and dunlin. A pair of whinchats are present on spoonbill flash, just scan the tall grass on the left of the flash from lin dike hide and you should come across them. Other notable sightings have been of a yellow wagtail on the 18th July, a pintail and a juvenile garganey on the 24th July and a redstart on the 25th July. Juvenile water rails have also been seen on several occasions.
Juvenile water rail - Pete M
Other
Butterflies noted were small white, green-veined white, speckled wood, large white, meadow brown, gatekeeper, small skipper, comma, small tortoiseshell, brimstone, purple hairstreak, red admiral, ringlet, brown argus, small copper and peacock.
Brimstone - Pete M
Dragonflies noted have been brown hawker, black-tailed skimmer, ruddy darter, common darter and emperor.
Damselflies reported have been blue-tailed damselfly , azure damselfly, common blue and banded demoiselle.