Autumn is certainly bringing very changeable weather to the wetlands at the moment with lots of wind, rain and beautiful sunshine often all within the same five minutes! The hedges have had their annual trim to allow new growth next year and half term is well underway.
Curlew have been on the mudflats in great numbers with more than 100 reported on Friday 22nd, with their distinctive calls they are always a pleasure to see. Also on the foreshore have been the Shelduck searching for invertebrates in the mud. While in the reeds our resident Bearded Reedling’s are showing fleetingly but always a delight.
Image credit: Curlew - Jeremy White
Our birds of prey include regular sightings of Marsh Harriers, Kestrel and Buzzard with a couple of sightings of a Hobby and Merlin.
Image credit: Kestrel - Roger Norris
The Perry Lane feeders are continuing to offer up new species with this week chaffinches, green woodpeckers and a gloriously bronze male pheasant. In the UK the population of chaffinches increases by over 10 million between September and March as they migrate from Scandinavia. The green woodpecker is the largest of our native woodpeckers but actually spends the least amount of time in trees drumming. The pheasant is a common sight around the UK but it is in fact non-native, it is thought to be introduced by Romans like so much else.
Image credit: Chaffinch - Jeremy White
The robins have gone through their moult, at which time they cease to sing but are now starting to find their voice again, which is a delight to hear around the visitor centre. Also around the visitor centre a fox has been making a regular appearance.
And finally our starlings have noticeably increased in number over the last week as we approach their peak number in November. Large groups are gathering all over the reserve.
Video credit: The starling flocks are building at the Wetlands - John Lewindon
Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Black-headed gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti's Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Green Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey wagtail, Herring gull, Hobby, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, Linnet, Little egret, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Merlin, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Raven, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Song thrush, Starling, Stock dove, Stonechat, Swallow, Water Rail, Wheatear, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Common darter dragonfly, Bank vole, Rabbit, Red fox, Stoat, Wood mouse.
Author: Josh Sankey
This week we have a bat and moth event on Friday 29th October at 4:30pm https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/8784 and wildlife watching for children guided walk on Saturday at 1pm https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/7793. We'd love to see you then!
Please note our cafe is closed temporarily on Thursdays and Fridays.