The last few days have been great for spotting wildlife. Only 5 minutes of stepping onto the reserve yesterday I witnessed a grass snake, brimstone butterfly (my first this year!), and a huge swarm of excitable frogs in the ditch. The birds, as always, have not disappointed visitors with sightings of a Ruff and Little Ringed plover from the hide.
You may have spotted a couple of strange looking staff (very rare creatures!) in Greenaways and Closes. We have been digging soil samples in the two fields to analyse the invertebrates that live in the mud! With the last two winters being particularly dry, it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this has had on invertebrates.
The Tuesday volunteers did a great job last week at making and dropping off fish reefs within the reed bed. The fish reefs, made from bundles of sticks and weighted with bricks, provide young fish with a safe haven to feed, and escape predation. A healthy fish population is vital for birds such as the Bittern that will feed on them when they are older.