May is a beautiful month on our reserve. The bird song is at its peak as the breeding season continues in earnest, while the plants and trees burst into leaf which in turn brings out a wealth of insect life. Cuckoos are often heard and seen around Church Norton, Yeoman’s Field, our Discovery Zone and the Ham area on Medmerry.
Cuckoo - Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Swifts arrive and spotted flycatchers pass through, frequently stopping off around Glebe Meadow and St Wilfred’s to fuel up.
Spotted flycatcher Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Little terns, common terns and sandwich terns will all be setting down to nest on Tern Island and can be seen fishing in the harbour and offshore.
Little tern - Ivan Lang
Meanwhile the avocets on Medmerry’s Stilt Pools will also be nesting and by the end of the month the chicks will be hatching. They are able to feed themselves straight away imitating their parents actions but looking like pompoms on legs.
Avocet chick - David Tipling (rspb-images.com)
Yellowhammers can be seen across Medmerry but particularly around the Marsh Barn area.
Yellowhammer - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
The skylarks song cascades down from above and corn buntings can be found singing on the fence wires.
Corn bunting - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Lizards bask in the sun on both reserves and butterflies dance along paths, hedgerows and fields.
Common lizard - Roy Newnham
Plus of course our owlets should be branching and the kestrels feeding their chicks.