Unfortunately, due to the inclement weather and the huge amounts of flood water, we have reluctantly decided to cancel the monthly guided walk this Sunday 16th February.

Apologies for this but hopefully the water levels will have dropped in time for the next guided walk on Sunday 16th March, hopefully see you all there in bright sunshine and cloudless skies, we can hope...

It was a bit wet this morning, wasn't it?!

Unfortunately, because of the amount of water that is flowing through the brooks at the moment, the canal meadow is currently impassable and access to the wetlands is impossible.

To put the amount of water in perspective, Kate, the Warden  and myself took a walk to see how much water was on site, we managed to get through the canal meadow and onto the wetlands. However,…

It's not just the wildlife that I find so fascinating, but the different vegetation you can see when you are out and about There is something that is neither a plant or an animal, that I have always found intriguing and that is fungi. There are five characteristics of fungi which are quite unique:

•  They contain a nuclei with chromosomes

•  They cannot photosynthesize

•  They are osmotropic, in other-words they…

Don’t worry, Middleton Lakes is still here and hasn't been washed away by the rain yet, when is it going to relent?, it barely feels like we have had a Winter!

However, the birds don't seem to mind and we are still getting some really great sightings lately.

The Starling roost continues to entertain and now seems to have built up to over 5000 birds! They can still be seen murmurating over the silt pool…

There has been some great sights that I have seen at Middleton Lakes, there is one that I will never forget being the Murmuration of Starlings. It was such a delight to watch small groups merge with each other. It took some time before about 6000 starlings came together. I was fascinated, and finally they all came to a stop and setlled down in the reed beds for the night.

I wanted to know more about why they do this…

We need you!

Our photo pages on the Community have some great photos of some fantastic wildlife but we don’t have many recent photos so we are sending out a request...

If you have taken any photos on the reserve, whether it is of our great wildfowl, the lovely scenery, the spectacular winter fungus or of our friendly Robins, we want to see them.

So dust off your camera, ignore the lousy weather and get snappi…

It was a great shame that, before Christmas, our Starling murmuration dispersed and disappeared to pastures new. However, a late discussion about work in the car park, and... what’s that?!

Over the farm and the woodland we could see a murmuration. Our Starlings had returned!

The past couple of nights I have been down to our silt pool look out watching over 2500 Starlings murmurating over the silt pool and reedbed…

Today saw staff and volunteers conducting the monthly WeBS counts around the reserve on one of the nicest days we have had for a few weeks. For those of you who don’t know, WeBS stands for the Wetland Bird Survey and is a nationwide survey that is completed monthly, counting all the birds on many of the countries wetlands by volunteers who choose their areas to survey. The areas that we count on Middleton Lakes are…

Middleton Lakes is looking like a very literal term at the moment, although it should be a singular lake!

However, despite the large amounts of water on the reserve at the moment, there are still some great birds to see and you don't need to break out the wetsuit.

The feeders are currently alive with birds throughout the day, but if you get to the reserve early then there is a constant hive of activity as the birds…

Despite all the work being carried out currently by the Environment Agency to reduce the risk of flooding from the river Tame, our Woodland Trail is impassable due to flooding by Langley Brook. I inspected the trail yesterday morning and found that the brook had 'backed up' from the canal culvert and water had completely overflowed in to the woodland. Parts of the path were knee deep in water and that's without venturing…

Staff news

 So the time has come for Wendy Murray to take a well earned rest as she goes on maternity leave to wait for the arrival of her baby due in January.  I know you will join me in giving her our very best wishes enjoying some special time with her baby in the months to come.  We will miss Wendy but are delighted that Nicky Willner will be stepping into the role as Learning Development Officer whilst Wendy is away…

I finally managed to get to see the starling murmuration on the reserve which everyone has been raving about. I have a murmuration viewing on my list of wildlife sights to witness, so what better way to cross it off.

Making my way to the old viewing screen overlooking Fisher's Mill Pool, I settled down by 3.15pm and I thought I'd already missed the spectacle. The light was poor and getting darker as the first small groups…

At Middleton progress is being made on our activity hub - a barn-style building which will house a multi-functional space (visitor reception and indoor space for school groups and events) welly wash facilities and toilets. The new building will be positioned at the end of the existing visitor’s car park.

 A project team has been busily fundraising for this facility, this year. We now await a decision from the Derbyshire…

“Are you a mummy?” one child asked me. “No” I replied, “I’m a FAIRY!”

    ............... and that’s how my day started at Middleton Lakes.

 With a nature crown on my head and a woodland fairy wand in my hand, nine budding fairies followed me into the ‘Enchanted Woodland’ to find a secret toadstool trail left behind by who other than the Middleton Fairies themselves…

On Tuesday last week, 60 year 5 students visited Middleton Lakes to learn about our stream and the way water shapes the environment. Out on the flood plain of the River Tame I pointed out a ride at a neighbouring theme park. As we walked I heard a student say  "Hey I can see 'Apocalypse' from everywhere we go". "Why's that" I ask. "Dunno, it's really tall, and there is nothing in the way and its really flat" and then …

Many visitors have asked us about the yellow wild flower seen around the car-park and elsewhere.

It's a hawk's-beard (or hawksbeard)  ... but which one  ... our flora surveyors have told us it's  a .....

Beaked hawk's-beard .....

because of the orange-red stripe underside of  the flower .... and by-the-way ... the beaked means narrowed.

Thanks to Nigel for this photo.

Looking at one of nature's mysteries…

Giving nature a home.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a Jay at the feeders.

When I fly off, look out for the white blob on my back - you will then always know that I am a Jay in flight.

Our volunteer surveyors have been out looking for damselflies and dragonflies this month.

These are the species they have reported seeing:

Damselflies .....Azure damselfly, Banded demoiselle, Blue-tailed damselfly, Common Blue damselfly, Large Red damselfy, Red-eyed damselfly.

Dragonflies ..... Broad Bodied Chaser, Four-spotted Chaser

Thanks to Peter Price for this photo of an immature female Four-spotted Chaser.

Our volunteer surveyors have been out recently and reported seeing the following butterflies this month:

Brimstone, Comma, Common Blue, Dingy Skipper, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large White, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Copper, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood.

Maybe you did too.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this butterfly collage.

All in a days work for Ken - thanks very much for your artistic…

Visitors have asked us where they could see butterflies at Middleton Lakes.

One way is to look out for the wild flower food plants on which these butterflies land, settle and feed.

For those who may not know the wild flowers, please follow these links for a picture.  Thanks to UKwildflowers.

Birds-foot-trefoil, Bluebell, Bramble, Buttercup (meadow), Cowslip, Cuckooflower, Dandelion, Forget-me-not, Goat Willow, Greater…

At the heronry,  feeders and bridleway

Young Grey Herons are still being heard calling for food and a few adults have seen flying off. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Jay and the usual tits have been seen around the feeders.

Blackbirds, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Robin, Wren are calling now that the warblers are singing less. The occasional Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cuckoo  have been heard.

Around…

Our mothing surveyors have been out in the evenings with their Skinner and Robinson light boxes. (Thanks to Birdguides for this link)

These are the species which were seen:

Brimstone Moth, Brindled Pug, Brown Silver-line, Cinnabar (The), Clouded Border,

Clouded Drab, Clouded Silver, Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Common Swift,

Common Wave, Common White Wave, Elephant Hawkmoth, Flame Carpet, Flame Shoulder,

Giving nature a home.

The warm days brought out the butterflies for the surveyors.

Thanks to Nigel for this photo of a male Orange Tip butterfly on Green Alkanet.

It's always a joy to see an orange tip butterfly enjoying the nectar from a wild flower.

Giving nature a home.

Thanks to Nigel for this photo of several Greylag Geese families with young.

So who's watching the back - I am.

Giving nature a home.

Thanks to Marion Parnell for this photo of a Robin with food.

Well, shall I eat it or take it home - yes - now where's the nest - everyone please close your eyes, while I dash off.