Thanks to Site Manager Julianne Evans for her report and photos
The exciting news over the last couple of weeks has been that we can now carry out monitoring of some of our high priority species on the reserve. Following their re-introduction last year as part of the Back from the Brink project, we were hoping that our field crickets would have bred and that we would hear them this spring. Sure enough, on a beautiful spring afternoon on the heath, three were heard! Back from the Brink is a National Lottery funded project which aims to inspire a movement of conservation and save England’s most threatened species, of which the field cricket is one.
Wiggonholt Common Heathland (Julianne Evans)
Earlier this week, we carried out a breeding wader survey to see how many lapwing and redshank are breeding this year and whether or not they have successfully hatched chicks. Unfortunately, we were not able to carry out the first visit in April, so we missed the first rush of activity when the birds were first making nests and laying eggs, but although it looks as though numbers are slightly lower than last year, several pairs clearly had chicks, so with luck more might fledge this year. The added bonus was spotting a pair of garganey, which is a very scarce breeder on the reserve and a turtle dove. Turtle doves formerly bred on the reserve so it would be really exciting if they returned!
Breeding wader survey (Julianne Evans)
Garganey (Juliet Moore)
Meanwhile, cattle are gradually returning to the reserve and our thoughts are turning to the mammoth juggling act of grazing, mowing and rush control over the coming weeks that will help to get the wet grassland in the best condition possible for the breeding waders next year.