Recent Sightings - May 2012

 There have been several successful hatchings during the month with the mute swan pair producing 7 cygnets (11^th.), although one of them didn’t survive, 4 lapwing chicks have been seen so far, the oystercatcher pair had 3 robust chicks (5^th.) and a few pairs of canada geese were also successful. Also seen were a coot with 6 chicks (26^th), a robin with 4 young and a juvenile pied wagtail. The numerous lesser black-backed gulls that had gathered on the lake subsequently predated some of the coot chicks. Still sitting on nests were common tern, on the raft and another possible pair on the island, a pair of little-ringed plover and other coot and moorhens. .),

 Other birds showing breeding intentions by carrying nest material, carrying food, singing on territories, being aggressive or mating have been whitethroat, sedge warbler, reed warbler, blackcap, chiffchaff, reed bunting, wren, goldfinch, bullfinch and house sparrow.

 Some other warblers seen or heard on the reserve have been garden warbler, willow warbler and the very unusual (for this reserve) but unmistakeable call of the cetti’s warbler. This has been heard regularly on both sides of the marsh and may suggest a male bird trying to attract females to more than one territory.

 Occasional sightings have been dunlin, white wagtail (4^th.), a bar-tailed godwit (25^th.), a shelduck (15^th.) in the marsh, hobby (18^th.), black tern (19^th.), 3 ringed plover (20^th.), up to 5 yellow wagtail, 3 wheatear, linnet, treecreeper and more regularly 2 common sandpiper.

 Numbers of swift, swallows and house martin have some days been in the hundreds with fewer sand martin.

 Up to 6 goosander could still to be seen on the lake during the month and about 60 tufted duck have gathered around the island prior to breeding.

 At Swan Pool there were sightings of 2 male ring ouzel, a greenland wheatear , 2 whinchat and a lesser whitethroat.

 Compiled by Colin Sedgwick