Mersehead Recent Sightings 15th- 21st April
It’s been a busy week here at Mersehead with more surveys being carried out, fields being ploughed in preparation for new crops to be sown, and more species arriving from far afield and coming out of hibernation.
We’ve had the moth trap out again and although it didn’t produce such a spectacular species as the Emperor we had last week, we had one dominant species in the trap in the form of the 7 hebrew character. There was also a lone common quaker moth present. Not the highest count we’ve had due to the cold nights this week but lovely moths to see all the same! Both of these species can be seen in March and April, comparatively early compared with other moths. As the months go by we should see an increase in the number and variety as the temperatures increase.
Common Quaker Moth. Photo credit: Jonathon Foot
In other Lepidoptera news, there have been two butterfly species seen for the first time this year on the reserve. The green-veined white and the red admiral. The red admiral is a striking butterfly of red, white and black colouring and at this time of year it is more than likely that the individual seen would have been a migrant from North Africa or continental Europe. These butterflies are usually unable to survive the cold winters of the UK but in recent years there has been a growing population that is overwintering in the south of England due to the warmer winters we’ve been having. Shortly after arriving the female will lay her eggs and there will be a fresh emergence of red admirals from July onwards.
On Wednesday, we carried out another water rail survey. This time we recorded 8 calling birds and whilst listening out for their distinctive calls another very loud and very characteristic song rang out of the reedbed in the form of a sedge warbler. This is the first we have heard on the reserve this year and as we made our way around the reedbed we heard two more birds singing with gusto. These warblers have made the long journey from sub-Saharan Africa and are making the Mersehead reedbed their home for the summer. Another migrant that was first seen last week on the reserve, the swallow, has really been building up in numbers as the days go by. On Tuesday there was a single bird that sat on a telegraph wire outside the office for most of the morning as if it was waiting for its mate to arrive, whilst out in the reedbed the sand martins which have been totalling up to 50 in number, were joined by 10 swallows.
Sedge Warbler. Photo credit: Chris Gomersall
Expecting an earlier appearance, we finally had a report of a blackcap on the reserve on the 17th. Earlier on the 15th a single ruff and black-tailed godwit were seen from Bruiach Hide as well as a lapwing nest. The nest and bird is extremely well camouflaged. If you’re visiting the reserve in the next few weeks see if you can spot it. The oystercatcher are still displaying in the field in front of the visitor centre most days and if not already on a nest should be very soon. A siskin was seen on the feeders from the visitor centre on the 16th and there are good numbers of yellowhammer present throughout the day. Also on the 16th there was a report of a hen harrier over the saltmarsh. The number of willow warbler around the reserve has increased dramatically over the last week and can be heard singing from many a hedge and in the woodlands. On the 19th 21 golden plover were seen in full breeding plumage on the new land that we have acquired, Preston Merse.
Golden Plover. Photo credit: Andy hay
The woodlands are looking fantastic at the moment, with a carpet of pink purselane lining the path as you walk to Meida Hide. We’ve added a few more new plant species to the list this year, having spotted germander speedwell, field speedwell and common vetch.
In other news, we have been continuing work on the car park which couldn’t have progressed as far as it has without the help of our dedicated Tuesday volunteers. In the last couple of weeks we have lain poles along the back edge to act as a buffer against what will be a new strip of grassland, and have raked and reseeded this area. The picnic benches have also returned and the next step is to sow wildflower seeds into what will become an extension to our existing species-rich grassland area. Now all we need is some warmer weather and some rain (not too much!) and it won’t be long until we start to see the first shoots appear.
Lana Blakely, Assistant Warden.