Winter is setting in at Langford but this is the season to be jolly because Langford has its own very special beauty and tranquillity at this time of year.

Roe deer in winter, photo Roger Bennett

So join us for a Midwinter Wander, get a breath of fresh air, and wander off a few mince pies and a bit of that turkey.

Midwinter Wander at Langford Lowfields RSPB Reserve

Saturday 8 January 2022

1.30pm - 4.00pm

One of our…

We love frogs (and toads and newts) at Langford Lowfields but we love fish as well, and the fish are blossoming in our main lakes. Unfortunately, the fish like to eat the spawn and young amphibians, so we had this great idea to give the frogs a home of their own.

 

We have had some serious machinery on site to dig out nine ponds for the amphibians to breed in. The ponds are isolated from the main reedbeds to keep the…

Star of the show this month was/is the great northern diver, found during the WeBS count floating around on the crystal clear waters of the Main Lake. This can be viewed from the perimeter footpath as it cuts round the southern part of the site. The bird is moving between the southern and northern halves of the lake and is living up to its name, spending long periods underwater, meaning that it can take time to spot it…

This warm Autumn is producing some memorable sights at Langford Lowfields reserve and our visitors and volunteers are really enjoying the displays.

The leaves are turning beautifully, making the place very colourful after the drab summer months and the wildlife is flocking in to enjoy it too. It’s been quiet since the end of the breeding season but it’s all happening now.

Lots of unusual stuff has been turning…

We have set a new bird record for Langford, with the most ever greylag geese being recorded, 1004 of the noisy honkers were on site during the October Wetland Bird Survey, they were accompanied by 14 Egyptian geese (also a new high count for the site) and excitingly by 3 pink-footed geese, an uncommon, on-the-deck visitor to the reserve. The garganey and great white egret also stand out as exciting Langford WeBS birds…

It’s been a very hectic breeding season for all the birds at Langford Lowfields, but now it’s over and the birds have had a rest, they are starting to stretch their wings and go travelling.

We have had lots of interesting birds dropping in over the past month and here is just a glimpse of what has been seen

18 black tailed godwits

13 yellow legged gulls

9 little egrets

4 curlew sandpipers

3 little stint

…

Slightly delayed, due to me being on holiday, but here are the much anticipated (!?) results from September's Wetland Bird Survey. 27 species were recorded, with a garganey being the standout bird. We also set a new WeBS record for the number of greylag geese on site, amazing news for those who love the relaxing sound of their angry honking call. Greylag numbers always seem to peak in September or October as they try and…

Summer is over, Autumn is here and so we're getting a good range of migrating, long-legged, mud-loving, wading birds dropping into the reserve. So far we've had black-tailed godwit (lots!), dunlin, ringed plover, green sandpiper, golden plover, greenshank, turnstone, curlew, common sandpiper, Temminck's stint, ruff, whimbrel, curlew sandpiper, little stint and sanderling... Not bad... Most of the waders drop into Phase…

The bitterns have done it again with another successful nest at Langford Lowfields. They first bred here in 2019 showing that our newly created reedbeds are just what they are looking for. Last year was a bit of a mystery as the reserve was closed for most of the year due to the Covid lockdown so who knows what was going on!

Bitterns went extinct in the UK in the late 1800s and following a recovery in the mid-1900’s,…

If you stand at the 360⁰ viewing platform at Langford Lowfields reserve, you can look out over the southern part of the reserve which is normally kept for the wildlife only. This huge area is a favourite place for wild things and so they appreciate the peace and quiet during the breeding season.

However now, most birds and other animals have had their families, and so we have opened up our seasonal trail. This is a …

Many visitors to Langford Lowfields reserve arrive by car and so our lovely car park is an important part of the visit. However, the car park and drive take a lot of maintenance. You would not believe how much roadstone we get through every year, and it all costs money.

Your car park charges are a very valuable contribution to keeping the reserve accessible and looking good. RSPB members and Blue Badge holders park for…

In what is probably the fastest ever turn around in Langford WeBS history, here we have the results from the count last Sunday. As we enter the summer doldrums, butterflies and dragonflies start muscling birds out the way to take centre stage, but there is still a fair amount of avian activity around to keep people interested. With the potential of something more exciting never far away (yesterdays spoonbill for example…

As a bit of advance warning, at some point in July we’ll be starting to use the PaybyPhone system in our car park. We currently rely on a payment post, which has worked well, but the fact it keeps getting broken into, means that using the phone system will be a big improvement. It will also take cash handling out of the equation and will allow us to see who has paid. As before RSPB members, volunteers and Blue Badge holders…

Hoorah! It’s now officially summer, although the weather doesn’t always feel like it.

Monday, 21 June was the summer solstice and that’s when the days are longest and the nights shortest. At the solstice we had 16 hours 55 mins of daylight at Langford and while we always think that the sun rises in the east, on that day it rose in the northeast (49^o) and set in the northwest (311^o).

Well, a fortnight…

Thanks to Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers, we have a new home for nature at Langford, and it’s already received approval from some common terns who have taken up residence.

We have a new “tern raft” floating on the water, funded by Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers, and we already have three pairs of common terns using it to raise their families.

 common terns on the raft, photo Stuart Carlton

It is covered in…

Hot on the heels of the May WeBS count, here are the results from the June count carried out on Sunday. Loads of common terns, a few avocet clinging on despite the attention of the hungry peregrines and nice to see a few red-crested pochards, an uncommon visitor to Langford.

Black headed gull

120

Canada goose

127

Common tern

22

Coot

130

Gadwall

50

Great crested grebe

31

Greylag…

I've been distracted by various things, but finally, here we have the WeBS counts for May. 

Black headed gull

158

Tufted duck

47

Grey heron

4

Cormorant

76

Little egret

5

Common tern

6

Canada goose

52

Coot

84

Gadwall

42

Great crested grebe

22

Greylag goose

56

Mallard

54

Moorhen

4

Mute swan

84

Shoveler

3

Lapwing

13

Lesser…

And the may blossom is certainly out at Langford Lowfields. Great big cascades of blossom dripping from the hawthorn bushes all around the reserve signify that the weather is warming up. Now it’s time for clout casting, planting out your summer bedding plants and starting off your runner beans. The chance of a frost is receding fast, so summer is nearly here.

The may, or hawthorn blossom, is the second eruption…

The swifts arrived back at Langford on 25 April, and for me that’s as good as summer. These must be my favourite birds, not only for their speed, agility and beauty in the air, but also for their mysterious and mystical lifestyle.

They are one of the last of the spring migrants to arrive and they will be one of the first to leave. They will be gone in August spending only 3 or 4 months breeding in the UK. Not for…

How do you like to take in your breath of spring at Langford Lowfields reserve?

Do you like a brisk walk to cover the ground and blow away the cobwebs? Or do you prefer something more leisurely, to meander, or just to sit and let nature come to you?

Well there’s something for everyone at Langford and we have produced this map to help you find your way around.

 There is a footpath which goes all the way round the…

Langford Lowfields reserve is blooming! The blackthorn blossom is painting vivid white clouds everywhere and the spring migrants are singing their hearts out.

Most of the migrants are here although we’re still waiting for the latecomers. Reed warblers are the latest to arrive and joined the blackcaps, sedge warblers, chiffchaffs and willow warblers who arrived earlier.

The unusual birds keep cropping up as well…

A good selection of species were picked up this month. With some of the lingering winter ducks being joined by spring time wader arrivals:

Canada goose

59

Greylag goose

74

Mute swan

12

Gadwall

68

Mallard

47

Tufted duck

222

Coot

101

Great crested grebe

21

Snipe

1

Black headed gull

106

Grey heron

5

Little egret

3

Kingfisher

1

…

As a volunteer at Langford Lowfields one of my jobs is to record all the wonderful wildlife which is seen on the reserve. In the coming weeks I’ll be keeping you up to date with all the action, so watch this space.

First of all a big HOORAY as Langford Lowfields reserve is open for visitors. After a winter of discontent, with major flooding, our wonderful sluice has managed to get most of the excess water back into…

Things are heading back to some form or normality and our team of dedicated WeBS volunteers were out again recently counting up the waders and wildfowl on the reserve. Jenny and I had done the last couple of counts during the main lockdown period, but with things easing off, the volunteer team were back in action. A few of the wintering ducks were still present on the count day, but their numbers will now quickly drop…

After a number of weeks of closure, following the severe winter floods, we're going to be re-opening the reserve on 15th March!! Please be aware though, this won't be at the crack of dawn and in all likelihood will be around lunchtime. The stay local message will still be in effect throughout March, but once we get into April we're expecting record numbers of visitors back on site again, experiencing the ever-changing…