We’ve now entered that time of transition at Greylake. Most of our winter visitors have left and those that remain will soon be heading to their breeding grounds. Yet while for some Greylake is an overwintering refuge, for others this is the ideal place to breed and raise young. Over the last week or so we’ve heard the evocative call of Curlew flying overhead and up to eight have been seen feeding just behind the flooded fields – fingers crossed that they join the Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe that already breed here. These iconic species of wet grasslands have all declined dramatically in recent years as UK breeding species and reserves like Greylake offer a vital lifeline.
A pair of Little Grebe has also been seen fishing and gathering nest material often just in front of the hide.
Whilst the peregrines are now less regular, there have been sightings of two separate ringtail hen harriers and a female merlin. In fact on Thursday afternoon the female merlin was showing very well to the right of the hide and was present on and off throughout the afternoon. A really beautiful bird.
Greylake can also be a good place to see some of our native mammals. Brown Hares were seen on both Saturday on Sunday – on Saturday they were seen ‘boxing’ and on Sunday those of us in the hide couldn’t believe our luck when a hare came all the way from behind the flooded fields to only 100 metres from the hide.
Also on Sunday a group of four Roe deer were present throughout the day grazing behind the water logged fields.
....and it’s well worth keeping your eye out for a flash of brown as you walk to the hide. Our resident stoats seem very fond of the boardwalk and it’s always a treat to catch a sight of these lively predators.
(Nick Edge)