Lapwing by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
With just 16mm of rain, April was the second driest since reserve records began back in 1984. This has not helped our breeding waders and nesting lapwings, redshanks and oystercatchers down at the saltmarsh have been hit hard. The wardens’ recent breeding bird surveys have confirmed our concerns.
On the Allen pool the avocet nests have declined from 20 to around nine, but this is mostly due to predation. If you haven’t seen our wonderful avocets yet, now is the best time to look for them and their chicks. We are still hopeful that they will be successful raising some young this year.
Did you know that avocets will move their chicks away from their nesting site up to a mile soon after hatching? That’s a long way for a chick only a few days old!
On a lighter note this year has seen record numbers of cetti's warblers with 8 pairs on the reserve.
It has been a fairly impressive couple of weeks for birds of prey on the reserve. Our breeding marsh harriers have been performing spectacular food passes, to the delight of many reserve visitors. A third female marsh harrier appeared during the tail end of April taking the total number of marsh harriers to five. Look for them from Causeway Hide and cruising over Barrow Scout.
Peregrine female and chicks by Chris Gomersall
Ospreys have been recorded almost daily and a hobby made a brief appearance early on in the week, spotted flying like a speeding bullet at the north end of the reserve. A peregrine falcon was reported from lower hide on Tuesday. The saltmarsh hides remain an excellent place to look out for them over the coming weeks.
Several visitors have also visited Warton Crag, a locally known peregrine hot spot, where an inspection of the quarry face offers a good chance of seeing one of these fast and furious avian hunters. Down at the hides on the coast a female hen harrier was reported cruising over the saltmarsh from Allen hide on the same day. Up to three spoonbills have been taking it easy on the Allen pool, with frequent sightings all week. Three great white egrets in the area are mostly using Barrow Scout though also may be encountered on the saltmarsh.
Bitterns are presenting something of a challenge to our warden team this spring. Dusk and dawn observations on the reserve and satellite sites are still providing a blank for conclusive breeding activity to date. A handful of sightings of the birds in flight at least confirms their presence. It was exciting to have a confirmed report of one flying over the reserve from the causeway last Monday.
Bitterns are continuing to increase in other areas of Northern England such as our newly opened RSPB St Aidan’s reserve, just outside of Leeds.
Back at Leighton Moss, singing warblers continue to steal the show. Cetti’s warblers are best heard from the causeway together with reed warblers, sedge warblers, willow warblers, grasshopper warblers, water rails, reed buntings and wrens. Listen for garden warblers towards Lower Hide. Blackcaps are best heard around the woodland within the vicinity of the orchard and pond dipping area close to the visitor centre. Lesser whitethroats can be encountered singing towards the Eric Morecambe and Allen hides.
Help us count swifts this summer. Submit your sightings. Swift by Mike Langman (rspb-images.com)
As we drift into summer, the skies sometimes appear to be filled with swifts. Look for them feeding on clouds of insects around the reserve and listen out for their distinctive screams. Unfortunately swifts are in trouble. Their breeding numbers plummeted by 47 per cent between 1995-2014, making them an amber-listed species on the list of Birds of Conservation Concern.
You can contribute to ongoing swift surveys by recording your sightings over a15 minute period, wherever you are, and submitting your count. This will help us build a better picture of the UK populations. (https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/community-and-advice/volunteer/8276-contribute-to-the-swift-survey)
Female blackcap by Martin Kuchczynski
On the reserve itself the remaining 300 hundred or so black-tailed godwits are favouring Grisedale Hide. Cattle egrets, which have been here for over a month now can still be found near Lower Hide or the cattle fields at Storrs Farm most days. Red deer have become increasingly visible from Grisedale and Tim Jackson hides during the day and Lillian’s Hide towards dusk. Small groups have been recorded across the reserve and visitors also encountering roe deer during their walks.
And finally, our wardens have done a sterling job resurfacing the track and car park for the Eric Morecambe and Allen hides which opened ahead of schedule. May all your exhaust pipes breathe safer without fear of disappearing into deep pot holes! You could always walk or cycle to the saltmarsh hides as a healthier and greener means of travel?
Hope to see you at Leighton Moss soon.
Steven,
Visitor Experience Intern