Thanks to the warm,moist weather the whole reserve looks completely amazing, the vegetation has germinated, grown and spread much quicker than any of us could of imagined.
Today, a good count revealed an adult female & 2 juvenile Marsh Harriers, an adult female & 1 juvenile Merlin, a huge juvenile Peregrine, a Buzzard, 8 Kestrels, 5 Little Egrets, 8 Teal, 13 Avocets, 220 Black-tailed Godwits (over the river), 12 Curlew, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 9 Golden Plover, 2 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 8 Snipe, 400 Lapwings, 30 Stock Doves, 25 Swifts, 170 Swallows, a male Yellow Wagtail, a juvenile Lesser Whitethroat, a Grey Partridge and a singing Corn Bunting.
This season Avocets have faired better here than at Marshside. Six pairs left it late but managed to fledge a very impressive twelve young. In the last few days 49 little egrets have been using the reserve along with greenshanks, a green sandpiper, ravens, yellow wagtails and a rare American visitor - a pectoral sandpiper.
The bird food crop and nectar rich mix is already starting to work; four species of bumblebee and eight species of butterfly have been seen in there and a corn bunting has set up territory in the crop - very exciting!
Contractors have been busy completing two bridges on the outer part of the reserve and next week will begin working on a system of ditches, two ponds (to the east of the car park) for the benefit of water voles and other wildlife and a disabled access footpath (to the west of the car park). The hedgerows we planted back in early April are starting to look good, although the drought saw off some of the Holly.
If you visit HOM please take away any litter you see in the car park or viewing area, keep an eye out for hare coursers and other undesirables and make sure you see loads of birds!
Thanks to warden and volunteer for the information in this report.