Yet again, it’s been another beautifully sunny week here at Mersehead and as usual there’s a lot going on around the reserve. Most of our Lapwings are now with chicks, with just a few pairs still sitting on eggs. Lapwing chicks are precocial, meaning that they are born ready to go! After drying off after hatching, a chick is able to feed itself straight away. The parent’s job is to protect the chicks from predators and to lead them to good feeding areas. The adults will also brood the chick (chicks will stand under the parent to gain heat and protection from the elements) up to the first two weeks of life as they are unable to regulate their body temperature effectively at such a young age and can be highly susceptible to the cold or rain. The warm, sunny weather we’ve been having in recent weeks will give the chicks a great start to life.
Lapwing chick with eggs. Photo credit: L.Blakely
We also have two pairs of Oystercatchers breeding on the reserve. One of the pairs is still sitting on eggs whilst the other has 2 chicks. Oystercatchers differ from a lot of other waders in that their young are semi-precocial; although chicks are able to feed themselves they are fed by the adults for much of the time. Because they feed on mussels, cockles and other similar foods, it can take a while for the parents to teach the chicks how to open them so a little help given by offering food enables the chicks to stay healthy whilst getting to grips with this specialised way of feeding. Oystercatchers have a varied diet and, whilst flightless in the fields they hatched in, they are most likely to be feeding on earthworms and leatherjackets (cranefly larvae).
This week also saw two new spring migrants arrive to the reserve in the form of a Swift and two House Martins. The former was seen on Sunday flying over the farm buildings whilst the latter were seen on Thursday over the wetland, drinking on the wing, their unmistakable white rumps catching the sunlight as they flew low over the water. Amazingly, the House Martin’s arrival is exactly a month later than it was last year, with the first sighting of this species being on the 24th April 2017. We can’t know for sure why they are so late arriving this year but it is suspected that the prolonged, cold winter we’ve had may have held them back.
The Natterjacks are doing well; there are currently c.7,700 tadpoles across the site. They are a mixture of sizes, ranging from newly hatched tadpoles to c.1000 with 2 legs. Mersehead is also home to Common Frog and Common Toad, and these species also have a range of tadpoles present currently. Our current count takes us to c.3000 Common Toads and 400 Common Frogs.
Natterjack tadpoles prefer warm, shallow water so that they can grow quickly. Photo credit: L.Blakely
We can add two new butterflies species to this year’s total; Small Heath and Small Copper. Both were seen at the top end of Rainbow Lane near the saltmarsh so keep your eyes peeled for these small butterflies if you are visiting the reserve.
As overnight temperatures rise, the moth trap has become busier. Highlights included a Poplar Hawkmoth, 22 Small Square Spot, 1 White Ermine, 7 Dark Barred Twin-Spot Carpet, 3 Rustic Shoulder-Knot, 1 Water Carpet and 1 Flame Shoulder.
Dark Barred Twin-Spot Carpet. Photo credit: L. Blakely
Flame Shoulder. Photo credit: L.Blakely
White Ermine. Photo credit: L.Blakely
Lana Blakely, Assistant Warden