Hi RSPB Mersehead community, I'm just back from a short break and so much has happened on the reserve in two weeks! The barnacle geese left this time last week, Friday 10th May. They have flown to Svalbard to breed and will return to the Solway coast in late September. There are a few lapwing nests on the reserve and yesterday we were delighted to see three small balls of fluff, lapwing chicks, that you can just spot them in the photograph below (centre and right hand side by the water).
Thanks to residential volunteer Martin O'Connell for the photograph
It seems that the afternoon is the best time to see them in dry weather, so Sunday is probably the next best day to visit!
Recent sightings: Visitor centre: lapwing, oyster catcher, lesser redpoll, pied wagtail, reed bunting and usual finches and tits.Meida hide: mallard, chiff chaff, willow warbler, blackcap, song thrush and heronTrails: wheatear, whitethroat, treecreeper, starling, bullfinch, sedge warbler, willow warbler, blackcap, chiff chaff, linnet, tawny owlButterflies: orange tip, small white, small tortoiseshell, red admiral
Bye for now,
Liz