September began as a scorcher. Temperatures rose to what we had in June, around 30°C, in what was an unusual autumn heatwave. Thankfully it cooled down by mid-September. But what about the wildlife? How did they cope? What has turned up? It is time to look back at September's highlights.
Before we get into it, though, a quick heads up that with the return of the autumnal weather, there is a chance of path closures along the river due to flood and muddy conditions. Please ask at reception for more details. The meadow trail is also closed for the winter.
Autumn has arrived, but the migration season was a bit slow this September. Though there hasn't been anything rare or too unexpected, there's been some migration action nonetheless. Siskins, redpoll, fieldfares and redwings have already started to return, though in very small numbers. Greylag numbers have been on the increase as they are flying over in large flocks with the odd pink-footed geese only just arriving over the reserve and beginning to gather at Buckenham with numbers growing to around 200+ right now. We've also seen the first few wigeon return at the start of the month. Meanwhile, there's been large numbers of swallows and house martins swarming over Strumpshaw as they gather in preparation to leave and they have since dispersed as September neared its end.
It is at this time of year that we expect to see ospreys visiting the Mid Yare and though there hasn't been daily sightings, we did have the name written on the sightings board at least twice this month. One was seen at Buckenham on the 15th and another on the 23rd along the river at Strumpshaw, which visited Tower Hide.
Over at Buckenham, there's been a few bits and pieces. This included, if confirmed, a lesser yellowlegs on Sep 24th, which is basically the American equivalent of a redshank but with yellow legs. It was only on the marshes for one day though. Also of note was a whinchat (Sep 15th), 4 curlew sandpipers (until Sep 5th), 4 crossbills (Sep 1st), a knot (Sep 17th) and a little stint and a wood sandpiper which were showing up on and off all month. There's been a few wheatear sightings (one was at Strumpshaw on Sep 6th) and yellow wagtails on record from there too.
If you are after kingfishers, then you are in luck. They have been quite showy recently and can be seen fishing in front of the hides, including from the reception. Otters have also been obliging at times, while great white egrets and hobbies have been a regular sight outside the hides also. Bittern sightings are mostly of quick flights of them flying over the reedbeds, but are present as always. Bearded tits are starting to show well from the Sandy Wall, but can be found across the reserve.
Kingfisher outside reception hide - credit Sean Locke
If you are inside reception, don't just look outside. Our resident pygmy shrew has been extremely active under the benches lately. So don't be surprised to see something scurry beneath your feet. It is tiny, the smallest of the UK's shrew species, and very fast.
Pygmy Shrew credit Pearl Claydon
In insect news, there had been a couple of new species that turned up at Strumpshaw this month. The first was a four-banded weevil-wasp found at the boardwalk at the far end of the Lackford Run. I'm not too familiar on this species, but I've been told it is fairly new to Norfolk and is on the increase.
The other exciting insect discovery was found in our moth trap. A Cliften Nonpareil moth, also known as the blue underwing. Similar to the more common yellow underwing species, this moth is mostly brown with a colourful pair of lower wings, which are bright blue, that are often hidden under the upper pair. This large moth was once a resident to the UK up until the 1930's, before being declared extinct. In more recent years, there has been an influx of them visiting from Europe, including this past month. However, it is the first time we've caught one in our trap.
I'm hoping October will see a few more migratory highlights to talk about in my next report. Fungi should be showing well also, so keep your eyes peeled. We have plenty of fun activities for your little ones to do planned for Halloween, so look forward to that too. Until next time!
For those interested in learning more about Fungi, its not too late to join our planned events on the 1 October and 12 November, you can find out more and book your place here: https://events.rspb.org.uk/strumpshawfen
Also as mentioned above we have a lot of activity planned for families over the October school half term. Take a look at our Wizard School Trail and Creatures of the Night spooktacular events here: https://events.rspb.org.uk/strumpshawfen