April 2012
The month started mild and then snow came for a day and it was cold and windy. Heavy showers followed with occasional hail and thunder. But there were some sunny moments, as well, before heavy rains and flooding came. The water levels soon lowered and so it was still worth coming to the reserve – but it was wellie weather. It was the wettest recorded April, nationally. But April was back to form. April showers brings forth May flowers – so we are told. Let's hope so.
Heronry news:
Heronry activity continued. The chilly, showery days did not deter the colony. Mums were covering the chittering young with their wings like a feathery duvet over the nest, during the cold wet spells. Feeding continued by both adults as the young muttered "in my beak, my beak, my beak", when the parents returned at different intervals. This feeding request chattering continued throughout the month.
By mid-month, 23 young were watched and counted in 12 nursery nests, while there were up to 30 active nests seen overall by our tireless surveyors. By the end of the month, 31 nests and 41 chicks were counted. A possible extra 6 active nests were being obscured by surrounding willow. The count is continuing.
Heron 'teenage' young were seen stretching their wings getting ready to hop on to nearby branches, in the mid-month. They were not flying until the end of the month when moved away to ponds nearby.
More twigs were seen being brought to nests by adults, even with young present – this seems to be a ritual which continues throughout the raising of the young cycle.
Woodpecker news:
Green woodpecker could be heard along the bridleway and occasionally seen along the meadow trail.
A lucky few had an amazing sight of a female great spotted woodpecker, feeding on the typha reed (fluffy cigar-shaped) by the bridleway silt pool. It climbed a stem, then slid down, climbed again before it moved to another as it searched and found some grubs.
Great spotted woodpecker were seen waiting in the trees around the feeders.
Lesser spotted woodpecker was seen occasionally at the feeding station (early mornings) or in nearby trees.
A mystery was solved – who or what was knocking the peanut feeder off the support branch. The action was observed by some visitors who said that a great spotted woodpecker had tried to take the cage away but had dropped it nearby. No photos or film of this, though.
Spring-Summer birds
Chiffchaff were arguing over territory along the bridleway, while blackcap held their spaces with their great song. Willow warbler wandered through with their melancholic calls. Occasional swallow and sand martin were seen flying through. Then the swallows came in groups, with more sand martins and house martins.
An osprey was seen flying north following the River Tame valley on the 5th and later on the 27th.
The buzzard nesting, beyond the feeders, did not continue – what with the herons, rooks and the crows – it's a busy crowded area.
Blue tits were seen carrying feathers – busy nest-making.
The hedgerows were alive with birds and their calls and songs.
Our friendly, fearless robin was still eating the seed left out by visitors by the woodland outer bridge.
Some first spring reportings: common tern (14th), grasshopper warbler (16th), hobby (30th), lesser whitethroat (17th), reed warbler (17th), sand martin (6th), sedge warbler (21st), swallow (5th), swift (25th), whitethroat (19th).
One lucky visitor saw three birds flying over the site – house martin, sand martin, and swallow (14th).
Others visitors saw 5 little egret and a flock of black-tailed godwit at the north-end.
The short-eared owl was still being seen at the north-end, occasionally in the evenings.
A whitethroat was seen and heard in the Atherstone woodlands (behind the Hall, from the quarry entrance, on the 6th) but not first recorded on the reserve until the 17th. The early whitethroat preferred the older, mature site before exploring northwards.
Flocks of linnet were seen in fields along the Bodymoor Heath entrance.
There were signs of nesting of coot, great crested grebe, mute swan, ringed plover.
We noticed that a cuckoo call was first heard on the 15th, early in the morning on one day but not heard again for over a week. Later there were a few sightings but no 2-note-call. Occasionally, later in the month, the usual call was heard, up to 10am. Perhaps birds were passing through to be replaced by others. Maybe the male cuckoos sensed the rain was coming, keeping themselves dry and feeding up after a long trip from Africa. So no time to call. Such is the peculiarity of nature.
Later cuckoos were heard from 6am up to 11am and maybe later.
A visitor recorded a spotted flycatcher on site (north-end 24th) and this was followed by much discussion as to whether this was far was too early or a even a correct identification. So we have considered it a possible sighting and will look out for future trends. It was noted that this is a young site in some respects but there are a growing number of eyes watching wildlife. They have been recorded on site in May and later. Nature again is always surprising and testing us.
A redshank pair were seen circling over Fishers Mill Lakes giving the lapwing a worry. The peewits were there first.
Wetland trail had barn owl (along the river in the evenings), blackcap, black-headed gull, black-tailed godwit (FM and Dosthill, some big flocks), buzzard, cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, common sandpiper, common tern, cuckoo, curlew, gadwall, goldeneye, grasshopper warbler, greenshank, grey partridge, grey plover, house martin, kestrel, kingfisher, lesser black-backed gull, lesser whitethroat (by the canal, FM entrance and first bench, north), linnet, little egret, little gull, little ringed plover, mallard (with big group of young seen on the langley brook on the way to the river), marsh harrier, meadow pipit, oystercatcher, raven, red-legged partridge, redshank, reed bunting, reed warbler, ringed plover, ruff, sand martin, sedge warbler, short-eared owl (north-end in the evenings and occasionally in the central grasslands), shoveler, snipe, spotted flycatcher (possible sighting, north-end), swallow, swift, water rail, wheatear, whimbrel (new reedbed), whitethroat, wigeon, willow warbler, wren, yellow wagtail, yellowhammer.
Meadow trail had blackcap, bullfinch, chiffchaff, cuckoo, grasshopper warbler, green woodpecker, meadow pipit, wren
Woodland trail had barn owl (flying over the car-park and silt pool during one evening), blackcap, blackbird, blue, coal, bullfinch, buzzard, great and long-tailed tit, cetti's warbler, chaffinch, chiffchaff, cuckoo, goldfinch, great spotted woodpecker, hobby (across the play meadow, 30th), kingfisher (pair seen by the brook steps, often called the ford area), lesser spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, pheasant, reed bunting, robin, song thrush, treecreeper, wren.
BUTTERFLIES: The weekly transect surveys started in April with new and extended transects (surveyed routes).
We noticed that orange-tip (only males seen at first, confirming that males emerge first, so that females are more successful at breeding). The white females were seen at the end of the month.
Species seen: brimstone, comma, green-veined white, orange tip, peacock, small white, speckled wood – all on the few warmer days.
DRAGONFLIES: A banded demoiselle (24th). A large red damselfly (24th). The fortnightly transects and new point counts (more of them) will start next month.
WILD FLOWERS, TREES AND SHRUBS: Cowslip and cuckooflower (showed its pink petals in time for the arrival of the cuckoos) were in colour. Gorse and broom were in flower as well as ground-ivy (4-6 inches in the grassland, taller than in the woodland edges), greater stitchwort, hairy bitter-cress, oil-seed rape and ramsons.
MAMMALS: A muntjac deer was seen in the woods at midday in the first and last week. Mink were seen in various places. Hares were active around the central pools and grassland area. A weasel was seen.
Grass snakes are still being seen, especially by the first north bench at FM – when the sun shined and occasionally swimming in the pools.
During April, the Midlands became one of the official drought areas (covering 50% of the UK), but there were no hosepipe bans here. Fingers crossed still. Then, of course, the heavy rains came and the big puddles returned. Overall, April had the lowest UK temperature for 23 yrs (since 1989) and was the wettest ever recorded. And for some, still in the drought ruling.
A question of nature - we noted that that the late March reed warbler sighting and singing was thought to be too early for the Midlands (although they were recorded in the south). We'll wait for next year records to see if an early trend is occurring - such is the wonder of nature watching.
With a great thank you to everyone for your nature sightings – keep them coming in. You can use the car-park sightings board, phone or email. Contact details are on the maps – a copy of which can be downloaded from the RSPB Middleton Lakes internet page and also available in the car-park.
Compiled by Nigel Palmer