The Cranes have once again grabbed the headlines this week with the sighting of a young Crane reported to volunteers at the car park on Tuesday with photos apparently. There is some confusion as to the number. Reports said two chicks but a photo on social media shows one swimming across a gap in the reeds.
Volunteers have since sat up at the Avalon Hide to try and get further conformation but to no avail so far. So if anybody sees it or them (youngsters) - we'd love to know, so we can keep and eye on their progress. From the photograph the estimated age of the chick is about 4 weeks and this fits in well with the patterns of behaviour we have been recording from the adults.
Sightings, even of the adults have been a little sparse, but I guess that makes sense given that they would want to protect their precious bundle. You may just have to get lucky during your visit. More likely is that you will see just one of the pair but sometimes they can be seen together - note the colour rings on the female bird called Meg:
If you see more than two it is most likely a different group. There has been a group of 5 seen flying about in the local area. Seen at Ham Wall both last week and this:
Formation flying: Toby Fogg
The Avalon Hide is also a good place to see Marsh Harrier. I was watching a female there this morning - quite a brown bird with very little in the way of markings on the head - think the lack of markings actually make her quite distinctive. She's the bird which has been collecting nesting material too. It seems like quite a lot of material she's been transporting, so perhaps more than just housekeeping - more like house creation but this would be quite a late start if they decide to breed at this stage. Juvenile birds are now beginning to be spotted on occasions particularly in the last section of reedbed on the left as you travel east along the main path. Look out for the very brown looking birds with gingery caps:
There has also been a regular Bittern flight in front of the hide - dropping into a certain spot each time suggests that this is a female feeding young. Other flights have been spotted quite regularly in front of the first viewing platform (VP1) and distant in front of the second viewing platform (VP2) - this one I've seen several times but have actually heard it first as she calls in flight (gull calling).
This one was spotted at the Avalon Hide yesterday by Andrew Kirby:
This one on Sunday by Toby Fogg:
Several Great White Egrets were present at the hide this morning too. Many now moving out of breeding colours - so bill colour returning to yellow and, losing red tinge on legs & greenish lores. Many have also been spotted at VP1 throughout the week too - always nice to see these elegant birds and they are now a pretty easy spot on any visit.
Grey Herons are still feeding young birds in and around the Waltons reedbeds. I say around - this one has taken to loitering on the tern rafts. I'm not overly happy with him as he has knocked over the decoy terns, which means a trip out in the boat at some point. I shall forgive his clumsiness just this once. I do think it might be time to start fending for himself though and give the parents a rest:
This is a fish transfer here - on about shot 6, but hard to see.
In the same area (Waltons) Great Crested Grebes are still out feeding youngsters (can also see young Coot, Moorhen, Canada Goose and Mute Swan in this area). On the Western side of Waltons, in front of the Tor View Hide, they are sat on a nest again. This is the couple which were feeding youngsters but also head bobbing and weed dancing again a few weeks ago. looking like they might go again - well they have:
The parent offering a feather to the chick has been seen by us in the blog before. The function of this behaviour is uncertain but it is thought to assist with pellet formation and to reduce the vulnerability to gastric parasites and to help avoid injury from sharp fish bones and scales.
Swifts are being seen in pretty good numbers each day all across the reserve really. Mike Uren sat in the Avalon Hide on Tuesday hoping to get some shots of Swift. There were around 10 individuals flying around that day and he sent in these shots - the first shows a Swift about to grab its lunch:
Hobby are being seen also but as last week in low numbers - although at this stage of the season that is fairly standard. Sightings from all over the reserve including Car Park, VP1, Avalon Hide, Loxtons and Waltons. Dragonflies are everywhere once again this week with clouds of Four Spotted Chasers - with The Waltons Trail particularly good. Emperors are also being spotted along with Broad Bodied Chaser, Scarce Chaser, Black Tailed Skimmer and if you are very lucky you may see Lesser Emperor or even Norfolk Hawker - a few being recorded on local reserves - they could well be here to stay now:
Scarce Chaser male: Giles Morris
Scarce Chaser female: Giles Morris
Black Tailed Skimmer female: Giles Morris
Norfolk Hawker: Andrew Kirby (seen from Tor View Hide on Thursday 6th)
Lesser Emperor female(drab form) : Martin East
Damselflies are out in good numbers too: Common Blue (although not that common), Variable, Azure, Red Eyed, Blue Tailed and Banded Demoiselle.
Common Blue Damselfly: Giles Morris
Red Eyed Damselfly: Giles Morris
Variable Damselfly female: Bryn Morris
Other insects from Bryn this week include:
Snipe Fly: Bryn Morris
Strawberry Tortrix (Syricoris lacunana) - its a common moth but the classification isn't that simple. Some experts put it in the genus Syricoris - Common Marble Moth, Bryn is not sure why. He's more sure than I am though - I guess that's why they are the experts and I'm not.
Brown Willow Beetle: Bryn Evans
Possibly Galerucella genus. A group of very similar looking bugs which need a detailed examination to classify.
Whilst away from birds I've been seeing a fox on at least 3 occasions in the past fortnight around banks close to the Avalon Hide - luckily our Crane chick(s) are safe in the wet reedbed areas at present.
Roe deer have also been seen around here and in the fields to the north which still seem to be covered in corvids, Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves. A Roe buck was close to me during my Tuesday Breeding Bird Survey and a mother and Fawn were seen the day before.
The old rail bridge as you walk into the reserve is still a great place to see basking Grass Snakes. As many as 6 have been seen in one visit this week. Three were present this morning including one with a misty looking eye - I believe this is an indicator that it is close to sloughing its skin. Common Lizard have also been seen on a few occasions.
On Wednesday I quickly popped over to Shapwick during a sunny spell and I was able to see 3 Adders (all female) with close proximity to each other.
Birds are still giving the chorus their best shot. Listen out for Willow Warbler, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Robin, Goldfinch, Great Tit and Blackcaps. Juvenile birds are being spotted more frequently too like this Blackcap:
Also this week: Cuckoos still calling around the reserve, Purple Heron over the car park on Wednesday and over VP1 on Sunday, Osprey over Shapwick Heath on Sunday, 2 Red Kite over on Tuesday and a single from the Avalon Hide this morning, Peacock Caterpillars seen munching on nettles, 2 Egyptian Geese over VP1 on Wednesday and this Tufted Duck displaying to a female:
Before I go, just to let you know that Greylake Reserve will be closed from 4pm on 18th June until 10am on the 20th June for essential maintenance work. Ham Wall and Swell Wood will of course be open for your enjoyment at this time.
Thanks as always to the amazing contributors of photos and information which really helps me put this blog together in my limited Friday Office time: John Crispin, Bryn Evans, Giles Morris, Mike Uren, Martin East, Andrew Kirby and Toby Fogg.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!