Wildlife sightings for September 2012
The month started warm and dry with some wind, a few heavy rain and warm days. Then the heavy rains came back, with the river and pools flooding.
A quiet month with water birds waiting out the eclipse period when their old feathers are replaced by new grown autumn-winter feathers. Other birds are resting after the breeding period.
Heronry news:
A few herons were seen and few shrieks were heard, but there was little overall activity.
Woodpecker news:
Great spotted woodpeckers were busy using the feeders, most days.
At the end of the month, the lesser spotted woodpecker was seen on the feeders – it was a warm day.
Green woodpeckers were often seen flying near the farm.
Later Summer birds
A few juvenile and adult blackcaps were seen.
Hobby were were active, chasing flies (dragons and others) over the lakes.
Autumn-Winter birds
Our hardy, clear-eyed winter volunteer WeBS surveyors counted,, mid-month, (including RSPB Dosthill): black-headed gull (11), buzzard (2), canada goose (123), common tern (1), coot (361), cormorant (22), gadwall (119), great crested grebe (22), grey heron (4), greylag goose (11), hobby (2), kestrel (1), kingfisher (2), lapwing (46), lesser black-backed gull (1), little grebe (7), mallard (148), moorhen (35), mute swan (59), pochard (12), shoveler (19), snipe (1), teal (36), tufted duck (148), water rail (1), wigeon (55).
Green Sandpiper were on the hall lake.
Flocks seen – canada geese, greylag geese, house martin, lapwing, linnet, meadow pipit, rook, wigeon.
Young seen - coot, little grebe, mute swan.
Siskin passing through.
Wetland trail had barnacle goose, black-tailed godwit, blackcap, buzzard, dunlin, brambling (20th), cetti's warbler, curlew (seen flying over or feeding for a day at the north-end), dunlin, garganey (up to 6 seen), goosander (20th), great crested grebe, green sandpiper, grey heron, greylag goose, hobby (up to 4 seen over the north end and over the river), house martin, kestrel, kingfisher (along the river and the brook), little egret, little grebe, marsh harrier (briefly seen, one evening), meadow pipit, peregrine, pied wagtail, pochard, shoveler, sparrowhawk, snipe, spotted flycatcher (around Fishers Mill lake), teal, water rail (in the new reedbed), wigeon, yellow wagtail, whinchat.
Meadow trail had blackbird, green woodpecker, sparrowhawk.
Play meadow and bridleway (woodland edge) trail. The woods were closed, but visitors still had the chance to see buzzard (up to 7 seen over the car-park), chaffinch, goldfinch, great spotted woodpecker (sometimes in the woods), green woodpecker, greenfinch, grey wagtail, kingfisher (over a play meadow pool and along the brook, by the steps), lapwing, linnet (near the farm), nuthatch, pheasant (bridleway woods), spotted flycatcher (in the old oak tree by the farm), water rail (seen from the silt pool).
BUTTERFLIES: Comma, common blue, green-veined white, meadow brown, red admiral, small copper, small tortoiseshell, speckled wood. (Thanks to Keith Warmington, Warwickshire recorder, for these butterfly links).
DRAGONFLIES: Blue-tailed damselfly, common blue damselfly, black darter (new species for the site), common darter, ruddy darter, brown hawker, southern hawker, migrant hawker.
Some of our volunteer wardens tell us that a good place to study dragonflies are the benches at the north end. These large colourful flies spend time soaking up the heat of the day – so only if the sun is shining. They lay down with their wings stretched out so there is time to observe all the important colour variations that make each dragonfly different.
MAMMALS: Fox, rabbit, stoat, weasel (thanks to The Mammal Society and Phil Winter for these links).
A visitor told us about a juvenile fox which was trotting along the canal path. Walkers were approaching from the north and the south. True to its name, foxy darted into the nearest hedge, eyes wide open, looking left and right until all was clear. Everyone had passed by. It then moved out from its hidden spot and carried on its way.
There was plenty of berries available.
Chub was seen in the brook by the steps – when the sun was shining on the water.
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