WILDLIFE TO LOOK OUT FOR IN SEPTEMBER

The spring migrants are now here in force with warblers seemingly singing from every bush.  Cuckoos can normally to be heard and seen although sadly far less these days and Swallows, House Martins and Swifts will be much in evidence over the pasture.  Hobby’s have now arrived and will have adopted old crow’s nests, so look out for them taking advantage of large flying insects such as dragonflies and any small bird that’s caught in the open.  A small number of Lapwings will have bred and with binoculars it should be possible to see them with their broods around the wetlands on Plover field.  Little Grebes will also be very much in evidence along with Tufted and Mallard ducks with their chicks.  Most Snipe will have left us now but the occasional one can be seen around the wetland areas.  Peregrine Falcons and Ravens will be around the reserve as they hunt to feed their new broods.  Fallow deer can be seen all over the reserve with Roe deer also around the woodland edge keeping their young fawns close by.
 
The Bluebells will have reached their peak by the first week in May but a steady procession of other wildflowers can be seen in both the woodland and meadows.  Cowslips are particularly numerous on Swishback.  Greenshank, Redshank, Common and Green sandpipers as well as Black tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Curlew, Little Ringed Plover and occasional Whimbrel make brief appearances around the wetland areas.  There are normally a pair or two of Stonechats nesting around the areas of rough grassland.  Barn owls will have paired up by now and can be observed hunting the rough grass areas and Buzzards will have nests in the wood.  Red Kites are not yet common in this area, but they can be seen fairly frequently hunting over the reserve.  Badgers will now have cubs and will start to bring them out into the open.  If you remain very quiet and keep still you can often see them at the top of Swishback just before dusk but keep your distance so that that they don’t simply run back to their sett.   May is a great time to go out at dusk and listen for Nightingales which will now be singing in their breeding territories.  A song not to be missed.

 

Come and enjoy.