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Bird Cherry has come into bloom since my last visit
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I had not been to the Reserve for over a fortnight so was expecting to see some changes, not least in the water levels following Storm Kathleen and its aftermath. I was certainly glad of my wellies to get me through the mud, but the areas of standing water under the trees were not significantly larger than my last visit and all of the trees were still standing! This was an afternoon visit and there was a hint of sunshine when I arrived at 2.30. The very first bird I saw and heard was a Willow Warbler just inside the gate, quickly followed by 4 swallows flying overhead. Harbingers of summer, I thought! But then the hill fog came down, the temperature dropped (as did the chance of seeing many insects) and the bird song also fell away considerably. Here is my report: Birds:
SC209693 Willow Warbler singing from Willow close to the path; Blue Tit; 4 x Swallow flying over; female Chaffinch; 2 x Goldfinch.
SC209694 ( hide) Moorhen; drake Mallard; Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff; Chaffinch heard not seen; Woodpigeon flying over.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) Willow Warbler; male Blackbird; Robin.
SC208694 male Chaffinch; Willow Warbler close to boardwalk; Chiffchaff heard not seen near the compost heaps; Robin; Great Spotted Woodpecker heard from direction of churchyard but not seen; Wren singing from bush near boardwalk; Song Thrush singing from Willow near boardwalk; 5 Goldfinch flying over and 2 in a bush; 2 x Blue Tit together.
SC208695 Great Tit; male Blackbird.
SC209695 Song Thrush singing above private entrance.
SC210694 2 x Great Tit together; Robin heard not seen; male Blackbird; Rook on roof of Old School House.
Other:
SC210694 7-spot Ladybird on nettles.
SC209693 and elsewhere Hawthorn in flower.
SC209693 Bird Cherry in flower.
SC209693 1 Spanish Bluebell in flower.
SC208694 unidentified bracket fungus on dead bramble stem.
SC208694 Hoverfly and another very small fly on the Marsh Marigolds.
SC209694 ( dragonfly pond) 2 x tadpoles seen; Pond Skater x 3; Water Beetles x 4; numerous Pond Snails; Marsh marigolds in flower.
SC208694 Marsh Marigolds in full flower beside boardwalk and across meadow; Stitchwort in flower near stream; Herb Robert in flower under willows; Primroses in flower by stream.
SC209695 Primroses in flower.
SC210694 Garden Escapes in flower: Spanish Bluebells ( both White and Blue); Yellow Archangel; Muscari.
SC209695 Unidentified fungi in mown area.
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Blackbird, old beehive loop
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and another near the entrance
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yet another near the dragonfly pond
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Blue Tit
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this one near the boardwalk was ringed
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I first heard this Willow Warbler, then managed to spot it
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the sound of summer!
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another was singing by the boardwalk
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I opened the hide shutters on arrival
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the hedge at the back is greening up quickly now
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the Moorhen was in residence
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feeding and swimming
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just one Mallard Drake this week
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Robin near the compost heaps
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Rook next door at Old School House
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Wren singing near the boardwalk
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it was in the same bush as during my previous visit
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Song Thrush in full voice
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the dragonfly pond brimful
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Pond Skater
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Tiny pond snails below the water
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Marsh Marigolds attracting insects
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a Hoverfly and a much smaller fly too
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a small bracket fungus on a dead bramble
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the underside showing the gills
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unidentified fungi in a grassy area
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Bird Cherry in full flower
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Hawthorn Blossom
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Herb Robert flowering beneath the trees
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Hogweed and Gorse
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near the entrance there are several non-native plants
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white and blue Spanish Bluebells
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Yellow Archangel
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Blue Muscari against the wall and Oxalis yet to flower
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I think in the past people have perhaps fly-tipped their garden rubbish over the gate, resulting in this mini botanical garden!
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Spanish Bluebells elsewhere on the reserve
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Native Stitchwort in the meadow area
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lovely, dainty white flowers of Stitchwort
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Primroses in a grassy area
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reeds dying down or flattened by recent gales
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looking back towards the bridge
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Hemlock Water Dropwort along the streamside
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the usual view from the boardwalk - hill fog this week!
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looking back along the boardwalk
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the boardwalk currently leads down into a quagmire!
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stream vanishing beneath the vegetation
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the more- than-damp meadow
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Marsh Marigolds love the wet conditions though
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there is a good show of them at present + the seed heads of Loosestrife
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the gorse boundary looking gorsy!
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View from the hide ramp
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and the usual view of the hide
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no sign of the "unofficial pond" drying out quite yet!
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and the woodchip still awaits a work party
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Unfortunately the ground conditions still preclude spreading the wood chip along the paths and the work party on 13th April had to be cancelled once more. Fingers crossed for better weather next month. In the meantime, will the Sedge and other Warblers return to the Reserve before the end of April? Watch this space!
please click on photos to enlarge them
