Wildlife sightings for March 2013
This is a monthly summary, so if you want more recent nature sightings, please click on the recent sightings tag on the RSPB Middleton Lakes web page.
The month started with blue skies, clouds and temperatures between 0-12C, then foggy and rainy days followed. In the second week there were fiercely cold mornings and snow-hail showers, giving the pools a look of snowy coverings. There was no deep snow, yet though. Overall a cold and frosty first half of the month. And then the snow came and stayed. The sun kept a few ditches clear.
Construction work. Still up to 5 diggers, and assorted crawler vehicles were on the central grasslands as grassland changes proceeded . The pumps were still humming with activity as the water levels receded.
Heronry: heron numbers were building up. Bird were seen standing at the top of trees waiting. Others were seen meeting / pairing up in the horse grazing field.
In the first week there were 15+ active nests and some 14 visible herons, some with nesting material, and some in feeding action. Some birds were feeding, others just standing bird by an old nest. Later there were 20+ active nests and 18+ herons, with birds bringing nesting material or flying about. By the second week, our dedicated heron surveyors (thanks Dave and Lin), counted 30+ active nests, with birds beak turning movements, suggesting egg-turning were observed, despite snow storms. Chicks were heard calling occasionally in the mid-month and through to the last few days of the month.
Several adults birds were seen moving along silt pool edges.
Elsewhere
There were 8-10 or more little egrets roosting overnight in the lower heronry canopy. Birds would leave about 11 to 11.30am. They were seen, later, along the bridleway - in the brook and moving up the trees if disturbed.
We saw jays moving about and redshank The first of the chiffchaff put in an appearance mid-month but they were not calling until later.
The bridleway was a buzz of calls and song: song thrush, blackbirds, robin, and great and blue tit with the drumming of great spotted woodpecker.
There were courtship dances of a great crested grebe pair – the head shaking, diving, and neck bending was a delight to see.
Our keen-eyed, strong-footed, sturdy winter volunteer WeBS surveyors counted, mid-month, (including RSPB Dosthill): bittern (1), black-headed gull (652), Canada goose (40), coot (102), cormorant (22), gadwall (10), goldeneye (13), goosander (1), great crested grebe (15), grey heron (8), herring gull (2), lapwing (2), lesser black-backed gull (40), little egret (18), little grebe (1), mallard (99), moorhen (16), mute swan (8), oystercatcher (2), pochard (20), redshank (3), ringed plover (2), shelduck (12), shoveler (88), *snipe (1), teal (96), tufted duck (151), water rail (1), wigeon (14). *Note: there are always far more unseen snipe present then those indicated by this visibly present count.
Wetland trail also had bittern (passing through), buzzard, cormorant, dunlin, little ringed plover, great black-backed gull, green sandpiper, grey partridge, kestrel, kingfisher, jack snipe, lapwing, male marsh harrier (confirmed by our warden), peregrine, redshank.
Meadow trail had Cetti's warbler, skylark, green woodpecker, little egret.
Play meadow, car park, woodland edge trail (and canal) had brambling, bullfinch, goldcrest, great spotted and green woodpecker, lesser redpoll, jays, reed bunting, sparrowhawk, water rail, song thrush (singing), chiffchaff (partly calling and later with the full call), long-tailed tit, several robins (calling and moving around), dunnock (calling with the blue skies mornings). Rook nest building. All the usual tits and finches.
Mammals: brown hare, squirrel and there were freshly made mole hills before the snow came.
Flowers: colt's-foot (in flower at the northend, by the willow screen and along the farm track), ramsons' garlic-onion aroma, moschatel, dog's mercury, lesser celandine (all along the bridleway).
With a great thank you to everyone for your nature sightings – keep them coming in. You can use the car-park sightings board, phone or email. Contact details are on the maps – a copy of which can be downloaded from the RSPB Middleton Lakes internet page and also available in the car-park.
Compiled by Nigel Palmer