Now into early May the majority of summer migrant bird species have returned to breed with many not hanging around and starting to nest build and find a mate. Each species have their preferred habitat and knowing what that is helps to find them, some more elusive than others. Another useful aid for finding these birds is their song. At this time of year the males are in full song as they look for a mate and also hold their territory to deter other males from getting too close.
Woodland
The 3 star species which live within woodland are pied flycatcher, redstart and wood warbler. Our green, yellow and blue trails and good places to look for these species so why not pop into our shop for more and the latest info.
Pied flycatcher, redstart and wood warbler by Gavin Chambers
Redstart generally prefer an open structured woodland with an open canopy and dead wood. They will nest in holes and crevices in trees or buildings/structures so the dead wood element of the wood is an important factor. The males will sing from the tops of trees and can through a bit of mimicry into their song. One singing bird this year was heard to have short snippets of willow warbler, chiffchaff, lesser redpoll, nuthatch and even magpie!
Conversely pied flycatcher and wood warbler prefer a denser woodland with a high enclosed canopy where they do a lot of their feeding. They both like an open low understory with a scattering of sapling trees and bushes. Pied flycatchers are hole nesters and will used holes in trees but take readily to nest boxes which is where the majority of the population now nest. Last year just over 100 boxes were used and 400 chicks hatched. Wood warblers are ground nesters and like to nest on a slope or bank and often under fallen branches/twigs to give more structure to their domed nest of grass. This makes them very vulnerable to predation by mammals and birds which could be a significant factor in their decline.
Moorland
Our moorlands are home to hen harriers and merlin, the former being a species which is in the spotlight due to the lack of breeding in England and the suspicious disappearance of many satellite tagged birds. There is also concern for the population of merlin in certain areas as numbers of breeding birds appear to be declining.
Male hen harrier and merlin inset (not to scale!) by Gavin Chambers
For a chance to see these elusive birds the best option is to drive up one of the two mountain roads out of the reserve towards Bala or Dinas Mawddwy and patiently wait for what could be just a few second glimpse. However any view of a hen harrier drifting across moorland is an unforgettable moment.
While waiting you will have a good chance of spotting some of the smaller breeding moorland birds such as: whinchat, stonechat, wheatear, reed bunting, meadow pipit, skylark and if you’re really lucky a ring ouzel (though it’s a bit late in the year now).
Latest Sightings
So all but spotted flycatcher and swift should be back, though these will be arriving this week, and include: blackcap, tree pipit, swallow and cuckoo. One annual but infrequently seen species is the hobby, a small falcon specialising in catching insects, which was seen for the first time this year on 4th May. They can be seen anywhere around the reserve so keep your eyes skyward and you may get lucky. Grasshopper warbler have also been heard on the moorland.
Hobby by Gavin Chambers
Goosander and mandarin have been seen around the lake, the latter from the centenary hide, and are both nesting around the lake and along the river. Though consider common elsewhere, the sight of gulls in quite unusually on the lake with herring, lesser black-backed and black-headed gulls all being seen in last few weeks.
For the latest info check into our shop and get a map of our trails and also let us know what you’ve seen around the reserve.
Gavin Chambers, Warden
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