RSPB Mersehead Recent Sightings 29th February – 6th March 2020
Spring has well and truly sprung, with bird song and the breeding season now underway. In the last couple of weeks, male chaffinches have burst into song along most of the hedgerows and skylarks are ascending with song (usually in the sunshine). Song thrushes can be heard by their varying repetitive calls and blackbirds singing melodious phrases.
And yet some of our winter visitors remain in small flocks, not yet dispersing to breeding territories. At least 10 twites were spotted perching in trees on the Coastal Trail, close to where a stonechat was also seen. A dozen linnets and at least 4 reed buntings were reported near Bruaich Hide. Sociable sparrows have been lining the hedges around the farm and visitor centre, with males display calling within small flocks. Listen out for both tree and house sparrows chirping to attract mates.
Reed bunting. Photo credit: Calum Murray
Plant life is springing into action too, with blackthorns coming into bloom and tiny moschatel flowers now showing signs of flowering. These small plants can be found low to the ground but aren’t so easy to find, with their small green ‘townhall clock’ like flowers.
Blackthorn and moschatel, both flowering. Photo credit: Calum Murray
Throughout the week, raptors have been seen on a number of occasions, including a pair of peregrines flushing teals up from the wetland, a pair of kestrels were seen as they harried jackdaws in conifers by the Sulwath Garden.
A common buzzard and 2 hen harriers were reported together over the wetland (from Bruaich Hide), and sparrowhawks have been seen on a few occasions, both from the visitor centre and in the woodland walk.
Lapwings have dropped in number, with several hundred of these wintering on reserve, favouring lowland wetland and damp grass fields to capitalise on their diet of invertebrates. Many are now moving on to breed on their summer grounds but a few will stay on the reserve to breed in our fields, carefully managed for this priority species.
Both lapwings and oystercatchers have been displaying over the wetland, with their distinctive (distressed sounding) calls, while small numbers of snipes and curlews forage in damp fields and water edges.
A couple of grey herons and little egrets make the most of open water on the wetland, hunting for small fish like three-spined or ten-spined sticklebacks or whatever other large invertebrates or amphibians they might find. This is typically done by their own unique fashion, with the egrets shaking their lemon-yellow feet to agitate the pond bed and startling their prey, while the herons ambush and strike prey with their bills through stabbing attacks.
Little egret quite literally ‘shaking a leg’. Photo credit: Calum Murray
Barnacle geese have been more dispersed over the last week in a number of smaller flocks across the reserve. Approximately 3,000 geese have been found on reserve, mostly in fields east of Mersehead Farm, nearer West Preston. Duck numbers are lessening, as some species begin to depart northward. Fewer pintails, wigeons and teals now inhabit the wetland pools but shovelers and mallards and small numbers of shelducks can be seen from both Bruaich and Meida Hides. Pairs of mute swans are present in front of each hide too.
Following the last few weeks of willow clearance from ditch banks on reserve, our volunteers have undertaken some willow creation in the Sulwath Garden. The garden is getting a bit of improvement work done, to refresh the activity areas for our younger visitors. A new mini-beast discovery area is being created, with logs to harbour these small creatures. Wildlife shelters will be repaired too, and interpretation and signage given a fresh new look. Hopefully this will be completed by the Easter weekend next month.
New willow tunnel in the garden. Photo credit: Calum Murray
Events are now being promoted for the spring and Easter. Why not join us on our guided Spring or Easter Discovery Walks (every fortnight) or meet our guide in the hide, for close-up views of what is around.
Badger watching events will continue in April but please note that the Easter Badger Feast events are now filling up. There are still a few spaces available for watches on Wednesdays 8 and 15 April.
Forthcoming event posters.
Another great way to spot and share what’s onsite is through volunteering. Some of the work we want assistance with will be regular patrolling of trails and having more guides in the hides, through our visitor experience volunteering role. Get in touch to find out more.
Calum Murray, Assistant Warden