One of our volunteers, John, has just returned from a holiday and found the reserve a different place to the one he left...
"It's been the best part of a month since I was last at the reserve and what a difference now that lots of songsters are about. Chiffchaff, blackcap, nightingale sang away as I arrived in the car park and elsewhere on the reserve common whitethroat and willow warbler were singing lustily. First stop was Hails View to check out the South Brooks and on route it was clear the flower of the moment will shortly be the bluebell.
Bluebells (Anna)
In the Blackwood I came across a train of teachers - at least that's my collective noun for Lucy, our Learning Officer, and her three assistants, Stephanie, Jessica and Jenny who were busily preparing for the summer schools programme they'll be running in the months ahead.
Small tortoiseshell, peacock and green-veined white butterflies were on the wing later in the morning and lapwing, teal, shelduck were present and all within the area surrounded by predator fencing that has been recently erected to protect nesting lapwing. A herd of 20+ fallow deer were outside the boundary!
On the North Brooks four dunlin in summer plumage were present in the afternoon - their black belly patch clearly seen. Also sand martin, house martin and swallow zipping over the main pools. Our most celebrated songster - the nightingale- was in full voice (and occasionally in full view) along Adder Alley and by the junction next to Little Hanger hide, where blackcap, whitethroat and bullfinch showed as well.
Common whitethroat (Chris Prince)
It's great to be back in time for the Nightingale Festival which kicks off on Friday 1st May with a guided evening walk and again on Monday 4th May with bank holiday bird song guided walks at 10am and 11am. Worth making time in your diary to visit."