It's a cloudy, damp and rainy today, In between the showers I managed to walk around the reserve without getting wet. Our summertime chicks are now starting to noticeably look much more adult. The young coots chicks are now in the process of acquiring the unmistakable white Coot beak. One of our Mute Swan families were sheltering and preening under the Weeping Willow Tree. The cygnets now starting to lose their dark grey fluffy juvenile plumage and growing white adult feathers.
The dull damp weather brings out the colours of the hedgerows. These Purple Loosestrife made a striking splash of pinky-purple by the boardwalk. Other splashes of colour are around the reserve are the bright yellow flowers of Fleabane, Canadian Goldenrod, Wild Parsnip and Ragwort. The odd splash of purple from the Tufted Vetch. Splashes of pinky-red from Marsh Woundwort, Red Bartsia and Red Clover flowers.
Up on the scrape by the new Viewing Shelter, the Marsh Harrier put in an appearance as well as a wind hovering Kestrel. The ducks our now fully out of their summer moult and looking resplendent in their new winter plumage. A number of Mallard and Gadwall were either snoozing or preening.
There are a high number of House Martins over the reserve today swooping across the open waters hunting for insects. The Kingfisher is still being seen as are the Great Crested Grebes and Little Grebes. Cetti's Warblers have been singing in the reedbeds and Long Tailed Tits and Blue Tits singing up in the trees. Coots are in large numbers near the Viewing Shelter on the Buddleia Loop with over 60 counted in one group.
As gardeners know only too well, the damp weather brings out the slugs in force. Today at Radipole Lake was no exception. I came across some particularly large specimens on the path to the new Viewing Shelter. The slugs seemed particularly abundant on this stretch of path. Though slugs are the bane of gardening not all slugs are pests and they do perform a useful role in the ecosystem as composters, breaking down the decaying vegetation as well as being a valuable food source for birds. Did you know there are 40 species of slugs in the UK? Only a faction are considered as pests.
Slugs have a large respiratory pore called the pneumostome. This leads to a single lung and is generally located on the right hand side. The pneumostome can be seen clearly in the pale slug image above. The majority of our slugs are herbivore feeders and feed on leaves, flowers, fruit, mushrooms and lichens. The mucus trail that slugs secrete help to smooth their path and guide them back to their home normally in tunnels or their feeding sites. If there is a long dry spell then slugs will encase them selves in a papery cocoon somewhere safe so that they won't dry out. So the next time when you are out and about on our reseves on a damp day and if you come across one of these fellows, remember they do have their place and their uses in the ecosystem.
For all the latest sightings, contact Radipole Lake Discovery Centre, details below or pop in and see us. Hot and cold refreshments, sandwiches and snacks available.
Telephone: 01305 778313
E-mail: Weymouth.reserves@rspb.org.uk
Website: www.rspb.org/radipolelake