Giving nature a home.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a graceful Mute Swan.

Wonderful picture of a balancing swan.

Giving nature a home.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a Swallow on a wire.

I have come along way from Africa - I'll have a short rest and enjoy the fine weather.

Giving nature a home.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this picture of a female Mallard and young.

Stop looking over there at the fabulous new wetlands and follow me.

Giving nature a home.

There's been sightings of Jays around the bird feeders. Last year was a poor autumn for acorns.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a waiting Jay.

Well there's no acorns about - so I fancy a peanut.

Giving nature a home.

It's been wonderful walking along the tracks looking at nature's wonders.

Thanks to Marion Parnell for this photo of a  Robin having a fluffy moment.

It's the latest fashion - the fluffy coat.

Giving nature a home.

There has been some warm and balmy days here when wildlife has been a joy to watch.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a Grey Heron preening.

There's no-one looking - I'll have a scratch

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.

May started with warmer days, some cold spells, some strong and weak showers. We had a few cold days and then warm days. It finished with heavy showers and some drizzle. It was a cold month, overall.

Construction work came to an end with a single digger (or occasionally…

At the feeders
Blackbird, Jay, Pheasant , Great spotted woodpecker, Green woodpecker, Robin, Sparrowhawk, Tits and finches.

Around the hedgerows, meadows and water edges
Blackbird, Blackcap, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Cuckoo, Dunnock, Garden warbler,

Grasshopper warbler, Grey heron, Hobby, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lesser whitethroat, Long-tailed tit, Linnet, Mallard,

Mistle thrush,…

Our skyward-watching volunteer, Bob, has sent us some notes of what-to-look-for  this month ....

June’s summer sky.

June is when the longest day, hence shortest night,  occurs and this year the summer solstice is on June 21^st. 

The unfortunate thing, is that to view the night sky you need to be a bit of a night owl, as the skies are not dark until after 10pm and are getting light at 3.30am onwards. 

However, you…

This month we have had many examples of why it's a joy to come to Middleton Lakes for an amble around with your walking or wellington boots.

See the new wetlands from the canal side (west) track.

Thanks to Nigel for the photo. Also Viridor (Credits) and Miles Waterscapes for making it possible.

Looking North-East towards scrapes across the water.

Wondering about keeping wellie boots clean?   After a walk around the wetlands (muddy now after the heavy rain),  then walk those boots through the long grass in the play meadow.

See the before and after pics from Nigel.

See how how they shine after the play meadow grass free wash and wipe.

This month we have had many examples of why it's a joy to come to Middleton Lakes for a amble around with your walking or wellington boots.

Look out for the buttercup displays at the back of the play meadow.

Thanks to Nigel for this photo.

A gorgeous flurry of yellow in the play meadow.

This month we have had many examples of why it's a joy to come to Middleton Lakes for a amble around with your walking or wellington boots.

After a walk or before, have a round picnic-table-family-gathering in the play meadow. You will  need your walking boots, though.

Thanks to Nigel for this photo.

Oh - an empty table - let's all sit down and have a family chat.

This month we have had many examples of why it's a joy to come to Middleton Lakes for a amble around with your walking or wellington boots.

Sedge warbler singing its jazzy, erratic song from the play meadow pools and around the wetlands.

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo.

See my white eyebrow - that tells you I am a sedge warbler.

A new wetland landscape is now clearly visible, where just a few weeks ago was a mini-mountain range of soil mounds.  Our contractors, Miles Waterscapes, are now finishing off the final details of the land-forming before we let nature take over.  They have had to battle against extreme winter weather conditions, including several floods, to compete the project on time, and we are grateful to them for their excellent commitment…

We had some enquiries about our recent annual Dawn Chorus. For those who couldn't be here for 4.30am to watch the first light and to hear the huge burst of early morning bird song, here are some notes from Peter, our volunteer guide for the morning.....

Dawn Chorus Walk Sunday 5^th May.

The Weather was fine and dry – hardly a cloud in the sky, but still a little cool for the start of May, with evidence of overnight…

This 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 cold, so this was the new spring, warmth came with no wind and temperatures of 12C, cloudy days and some drizzle.  No heavy April showers  – just a few drops of rain. There were a few warm days with temperatures to 20C

Construction is continuing with…

The great spotted woodpecker feeding station dance - the climb and slide, followed  by the climb and twist - has started again.

Great spottie was seen to climb a feeder support branch, looked to see if a feeder port was free – yes – so she slid down the branch, then flew to another support branch.

She then climbed and twisted to eat  from a seed port. Feeding and twisting lasted several minutes.

Thanks to…

The first Sunday in May is the day we hope for fine weather in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is the day when people get up and visit their local nature reserve for a 4.30am start of an extraordinary experience.

From March, through to April and then into May, the early morning sounds of birds, along woods, meadows and wetlands, have been building up each day and by May its huge.

In March, we have our resident birds…

Our keen-eyed moth-ers have been out recently with their Skinner lightboxes  and have sent us their sightings.

Dark Chestnut, Brindled Beauty, Brindled Pug, Clouded Drab,

Common Quaker, Early Thorn, Early Toothed-stripe, Powdered Quaker,

Purple Thorn, Shoulder Stripe, Twin-spotted Quaker, Oecophoridae micro

Thanks to UK Moths for the links

Our resident volunteer star and planetary watcher has sent some what-to-do this month.

Use your binoculars to help your sightings and bring out your planisphere..... (wiki)

During May, there is a meteor shower falling on May 5/6th (look East-Southeast) which is the remains of tiny fragments of Halley's Comet burning up as they enter Earth's atmosphere. 

So we hope for a clear sky as the moon will be well out…

Our butterfly surveyors have told us about the first sightings of ...

holly blue, orange tip, speckled wood recently seen along the bridleway and meadow paths.

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

Thanks to Andy Merrett for this photo of a speckled wood on nettle.

Seen along the bridleway

Our VWs have told us about ...

whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat along the cow meadow walk,

a cuckoo calling along the bridleway,

sedge warbler and reed bunting in the play meadow and by Fishers Mill Lake

a cetti's warbler calling along the bridleway silt pool edge,

and lots of blackcaps calling from the woods.

Nature's choir is in fine voice

See birds on our feeders by the heronry...

Thanks to Ken Rogers for this photo of a nuthatch on the peanut feeder.

Wild flowers out in bloom...

Thanks to Richard Hancy for this photo of Lesser Celandine