Signs of spring are coming thick and fast at Ynys-hir, and earlier this year than previous years. I will update this post as more sightings come in! So far we have:
Birds:
Chiffchaff - lots and lots of them!
Sand martin
Wheatear
Pied flycatcher - arrived 10 days earlier than last year
Swallow
Winter visitors still here (but may be gone soon!):
White fronted goose
Goldeneye
Hen harrier
Merlin
Grey plover
Dunlin
Bar-tailed godwit
Curlew
Spotted redshank
Black-headed gull
Common gull
Redwing
Butterflies:
Brimstone
Comma
Peacock
Small tortoiseshell
And of course the species that are here all year round are feeling the delights of spring. The lapwing are doing their display flights and we’ve had a spate of otter sightings.
News just in - one redstart and lots of willow warblers seen but not singing yet.
We have also had a couple of sightings of a grass snake this week, sunning itself by the boardwalk.
A beautiful sunny day at Ynys-hir today with a few more spring arrivals to add to the list.
Grasshopper warbler seen from the boardwalk
tree pipit near Ynys Edwin ridge
wood warbler
The reserve seems full of birds this morning. Many willow warblers, chiffchaffs and blackcaps singing. There are redstarts and wheatear here also.
New arrivals include garden warbler and two ospreys on the estuary.
This morning we heard our first cuckoo of the year!
Also now arrived are sedge warblers, reed warblers and whitethroats.
Most of the winter visitors have left now but the Greenland white fronted geese are still here.
The spotted flycatchers have arrived on the reserve, they're very early, we don't normally see them until May!
That's a very early arrival :)
I think all of our summer residents have now arrived including wood warblers, winchats, house martins and swifts.
Yep, your on my todo list :)