Blogs

Blogger: Rachael Murray, Media Officer Photo credit: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) We are urging people in the East to carry on stepping up for swifts this summer, as these extraordinary birds start arriving in our big skies. Our Swift Search kicks off again this month, to help build a better picture...

It’s not very often you can say that these days especially when it comes to birds. Before you get too excited, it involves species that have already been recorded here. While carrying out our woodland bird survey last week, I was walking through Willow Wood (by the dead trees if you are looking...

After getting off to a dodgy start when the first nest was predated, the avocets are now running with leaps and bounds as the number of active nests on the freshmarsh reaches 30! Avocets will lay up to four eggs at 1 to 2 day intervals but will not start incubating until the complete clutch has been...

It’s all kicking off on the islands in our fresh marsh pool. If you turn your binoculars eastwards from the Parrinder Hide or west bank path you will see dozens of these monochrome marvels scratching and scrapping, chasing off geese and gulls and generally causing a fuss as they begin nesting...

A very early start was rewarded with the first confirmed bittern booming in the reedbed. As soon as I arrived, the bird started booming and continued, every few minutes, for the next hour. While I was in position, a male grasshopper warbler was 'reeling' near the dead trees and I could hear a...

We made the most of the decent weather this morning and got out to complete the first of our woodland bird surveys. Although it was fairly quiet (no blackbirds heard) there were at least 10 chiffchaffs singing in the carpark/Meadow Trail area. Large birds were making the most of the thermals and a...

I have great news to bring you from the reedbed. Over the last couple of weeks we have noticed an increase in bittern activity around the reserve. One of our volunteers noticed several flight into a specific area of the reedbed so we decided to head out onto the reserve to check it out. Thanks to...

Not only have we been enjoying the early spring warmth but is has been a great period for insects. Down on the beach in the last couple of days we have been seeing this cracking beast - the dune tiger beetle ( Cicindela maritima). This beetle is one of the rarest species that occurs on the reserve...

Well that is what is feels like sometimes when we are surveying redshank on the saltmarsh! This morning we completed the first round visits to the Brancaster and Thornham saltmarshes. It is not one of the easiest surveys to carry out as we have to cross the large tidal creeks which vary from narrow...