Pheasants apecking around  by the feeders

Thanks to Richard Hancy for this photo

Hear the migrant birds singing

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a blackcap singing

Hear the resident birds singing.

Thanks to Maggie Bucknall  for this photo of a song thrush asinging.

Along the bridleway - blackcap (seen and heard), chiffchaff (seen and heard), cuckoo (heard),

Around the wetlands – black-tailed godwit (group of 30 seen, early one morning), buzzard,  common sandpiper,

dunlin, grasshopper warbler, green woodpecker, jay,

kestrel, lapwing, little egret, little ringed plover,

marsh harrier (female seen occasionally),  oystercatcher, 

pied wagtail, ringed plover, willow warbler…

A few species have been seen, on warm days,  in the play meadow, along the bridleway  and around the wetlands  -

brimstone, comma, green-veined white, peacock,

small tortoiseshell, small white.                  

Nature's flutterers. 

Thanks  to Keith Warmington, Warks butterfly recorder,  for these links.

.......................

Thanks to Maggie Bucknall for this photo of a comma

Nature's solar panel - feeling warmer

Our amphibian surveyors have seen ...

common toad (large numbers were seen, sunning themselves, on a warm day, by the play meadow pond dipping area and by the living willow screen at Fishers Mill Lake),

also smooth newt (under the refugia mats) , and great crested newt (heronry pool).  Thanks to herpetofauna for these links.

..........

Thanks to the BBC Nature for these photos..

Common toad (photo by  David Kjaer)

Our visitors and volunteer wardens have told us about ...

Arctic tern, common tern, avocet, barn owl, black-necked grebe (a few days at Dosthill),

bullfinch, buzzard, common sandpiper (Dosthill), cuckoo (heard and seen on the 20th. Not heard since),

dunlin, gadwall,  goldeneye, great crested grebe (pairs), grey partridge,  

greylag geese (flying over),  kestrel, lapwing, little egret,

little ringed plover (spring migrant…

These migrant birds have been heard or seen recently:

blackcap (bridleway), Cetti's warbler (this is a resident and has been heard at Dosthill), chiffchaff, garden warbler (canal meadow), grasshopper warbler (Fishers Mill lake and Dosthill), lesser whitethroat (first bench left at canal viewpoint), reed warbler (bridleway pool), sedge warbler (grasslands), whitethroat (meadows),  willow warbler (bridleway and grasslands…

Yes  .... At last after floods, storms and snow with rising and floating bridges, the woodland walk is a treat waiting for you.

Clumps of bluebells have benefitted from the recent bright and warmish weather.

At the moment we have the beginnings of a nature's blue carpet of blue flowers, so come along and see our woodland trail.

See how nature's garden grows.

Thanks to Ben Page (RSPB) for this picture.

One…

Our enthusiastic mothing surveyors have been out recently with their Skinner lightbox and have sent us their sightings.

Clouded Drab, March Moth, Dotted Border, Engrailed,

Hebrew Character, Oak Beauty, Pale Brindled Beauty,

Satellite , Small Quaker, Oecophoridae micro  .........   thanks to UKMoths for these links.

Our skinner lightbox is a flat pack in a carry-case. Here it is assembled, and ready  for use.

It needs…

Our volunteer wardens have reported the first blackcap today.

Other birds heard today are blackbird, blue tit, great tit, chiffchaff, dunnock,  robin, skylarks, song thrush, wren.

Also seen redwing along the meadow trail.

12 April 13

Some of our visitors  have been telling us about the tree buds which are in view now.

So keep your eyes open for these  (sorry no photos yet)....

Alder ........  bud - purple

Ash ............ bud - black ..... buds on opposite twigs

Beech ........ bud - copper-brown - long pointed

Silver birch ...... bud - green  brown

Elder ....... bud - purple and spikey

Hazel   .......   bud - green-red

Goat Willow / Pussy Willow .......…

It's been dry for a while now and  the route to the wetlands and the wetland paths are much firmer. But still bring your walking boots.

We have been hearing the calls of herring gulls – sounds of the seaside, rooks – sounds of the woods,  dunnocks screeching in chase mode, blue tits were darting about.

We have been hearing several chiffchaffs along the bridleway and black-headed gulls over the wetlands.

Thanks to John Harris for informing us about female/immature bearded tit, seen yesterday (Sunday 7th).

It was seen feeding on reeds on one of the small pools on the Dosthill site.

There are pictures at Tame Valley Birding.

Here is a picture of a female taken at RSPB Conwy - thanks by Robin Sandham.

A first for Middleton Lakes and Dosthill, we think.

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…

Our visitors and volunteer wardens have told us about ....

the track to the wetlands is now alot drier - but still take your walking boots and there are ...

chiffchaff calling along the bridleway, herons feeding around the silt pool, treecreepers in the woods, rooks rawking above the woods, goldcrest flitting about along the bridleway.

Around the wetlands – redshank, little egret, little ringed plover, oystercatcher…

 Despite the cold weather – the  heronry is active.

Birds are moving about in their search for food.

We  have been hearing the sounds of young herons begging for food as well as the chasing of courting birds. 

Thanks for Ken Rogers for these photos.

See how they can fly, dive and just look at the camera.

Our starwatching volunteer has some more tips for you.

For those with a planisphere.

April’s sky projects includes how to use your starfinder chart.

Remember that we are now in BST (British Summer Time) so when you are using your planisphere remember to subtract 1 hour.

 i.e. if it is 10pm, set your time dial to 9pm at the correct date on the planisphere.

Turn the planisphere upside down overhead with the viewing…

It’s not just the reserve’s birds and wildlife having a hoot this Spring.

The Middleton Lakes Tawnies have been rolling up their sleeves for nature.

The teenagers braved the Arctic winds to spread chippings and make the paths a little less muddy.

 A huge thanks Tawnies and to Viridor Credits Environmental Company for funding the group.

We have been told that the Middleton Lakes front web-page is not being updated with the new blog entries.

If you want the latest entries, go to the first web-page, then look for 'Read our blog' and 'Visit our forum' . Click those tags. These will take you directly to the latest stories from Middleton Lakes.  We hope you are enjoying our examples of nature's voice with the images. If you want to make a…

.. the meadow walk and look out for the English Longhorns.

Thanks to Richard Hancy for these pictures.

Oh, how we love Middleton Lakes in all seasons.

... the wetlands view - as seen from the canal viewpoint, through the wetland 'eye'.

Thanks to Richard Hancy for this picture.

Oh, how we love Middleton Lakes in all seasons.

... the bridleway walk to the wetlands - do bring your welliies or walking boots, though.

You may see the friendly robins around here  .... sprinkle some bird seed on a post.

Thanks to Richard Hancy for this picture.

Oh, how we love Middleton Lakes in all seasons.

.... the bird feeding station.

Thanks to Richard Hancy for this great picture.

Note the 'waiting-room'  branch....

Oh, how we love Middleton Lakes in all seasons.

... the car park views   ...... the old climbing tree.

Thanks to Richard Hancy for the great picture.

 Oh, how we love Middleton Lakes in all seasons.