Wednesday 13th April 2016

Spring... its arrived.....

Today I was at one of our other nature reserves today, Morfa Berwig, a reclaimed brown field site which itself was once coastal marshland.

Five horses are on site as part of a conservation grazing regime.

Two of the five grazers

With a warm day, we touched 18'c and the wildlife enjoyed it with 35 species of birds recorded as well as Small tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterflies.

The best of the birds included at least 10 Blackcaps, mostly males, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, at least five singing Cettis Warbler a few Sedge Warblers and two Reed Warblers. Five Gadwall suggests possible breeding.

Female and Male Gadwall

Flowers are still few and far between, but Primroses put on a show with Barren Strawberry and Coltsfoot, as well as Dandelions but with over 200 micro species I'll just call them Dandelions.

Primrose

Despite Mink track , the Water Voles seem to be quite active, with tracks and feeding signs in a few places.

Tuesday 12th April 2016

Fog..........

Fog is not conducive to good ringing conditions, and this morning the fog proved to be particularly wet!!

Still it was worth the effort of trying the new net set in the reed bed as the only bird caught happened to be a Sedge Warbler, the first of the year and the first of many I hope.

Sedge Warbler

When the sun did break through the morning was warm and some of the dune plants are starting to flower, including this Wild Pansy, Viola ticilor , a stunning little plant the Dune Pansy a sub species of the Wild Pansy also occurs but is yellow in colour.

Wild Pansy

11th April 2016

First blooms.....

After yesterdays wind and gales this morning was much calmer and a tad milder....

I started off by replacing some of the "dogs on leads" signs which have been damaged by the recent bad weather and in the process it became apparent that there had been a bit of a "fall" of Northern Wheatears with two lots of two at either end of the reserve, and reports from local birders of birds to the East and West of the reserve.

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Its amazing how coincidently thing happen, I stopped to scan the ground ahead for more Wheatear, and happened to look to my feet and there was my first Green-winged Orchid, Anacamptis moria , the photo is overexposed a little as the colour was a deep purple.

Green-winged Orchid, Anacamptis moria

A small flock of Barn Swallows along the fore dunes is making it feel more like SPRING