July has arrived with a much needed heat wave to restore everyone’s faith in the British summertime. Above average temperatures have persisted causing booms in invertebrate and floral species activity as well as successful breeding and offspring rearing for many birds and other species across the reserve. The extensive blooms of Birds-foot trefoil and Common Vetch on Haverton are supporting many of our butterfly species. Five-spot and Six-spot Burnet moths come to life in the early weeks of July, numbers have boomed in the summer heat wave. The five-spot burnet has seen a rapid range expansion northwards in recent years, with increasing numbers being found in southern Scotland and Northern England.
The reserve's weekly butterfly survey has seen a dramatic increase in recordings, with over 100 Meadow Brown alone recorded in one transect! Other usual species like Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper, Large Skipper and Ringlet have also seen numbers increase as well as the addition of new species such as Comma and Grayling.
It was another beautiful evening on the reserve and all the wildlife and visitors alike were feeling the heat, I caught this Grey Heron basking in the sunshine on Haverton Hole.
(Grey Heron Basking at Haverton Hole)
At Wildlife Watchpoint the Fox cubs are honing their agility and balance by attempting a trick popular with the adult foxes on the reserve, perching on low shrub bushes to lick seeds from the bird feeders.
This particular cub hadn't quite got the hang of this tricky manoeuvre and tumbled the short distance to the ground several times, to the delight of visiting school groups. With some practice this cub will become adept at reaching the feeders, which can be a convenient food source during leaner winter months.
The weekend of the 6th and 7th proved to be one of the most memorable for many months, when a Bridled Tern turned up during our annual sheep shearing event! Sightings of the bird which had previously been seen on the Farne Islands/Northumbrian coastline, were reported from Paddy's Pool. The bird was seen and photographed by the lucky few who happened to be at the reserve during its whistle-stop visit before it was seen departing Southward and, later that week flying past Flamborough. However, the story didn't stop there, and to everyone's surprise the bird returned Northward to the Farne Islands again where it remained for another couple of weeks.
A Bridled Tern made a fleeting visit to Saltholme (Pic courtesy of Brian Clasper)
That same day also produced the UK's rarest breeding tern, the Roseate Tern and a visit from a Peregrine and a Hobby. Raptor activity has been high on the reserve lately with daily Peregrine sightings between 6th and 9th.
Multiple Ruff were sighted between 7th and 13th, peaking at 4 individuals, appearing brilliant and scruffy in many intermediate stages of breeding plumage.
The RSPB screen at Greatham Creek Seal haul out continues to provide excellent views of Grey and Common Seals only meters away. The mudflats exposed at low tide serve to attract late migrating and resident waders as well as perfect basking platforms for the seals. In recent days, summer plumage Knot, Curlew, Wimbrel and large numbers of Dunlin have been feeding in front of the screen as they refuel for the rest of their journey.
Dunlins also continue to move through the main reserve on their way to northern breeding grounds with a peak of 35 birds being recorded on the 14th.
Chicks continue to hatch and fledge across the reserve with two juvenile Little Ring Plovers being significant additions. The Common Tern colony has had a very successful year so far with Tern chicks being seen hatching and regularly being fed by adults on the specially constructed tern islands and rafts.
-John