Wild news from our reserves – 5 May 2023
Short eared owl at Trimley - Carl Earrye
This week our reserves have seen exciting birds including ring ouzel, short-eared owl, great spotted woodpecker, grasshopper warbler and a rare purple heron! Bradfield coppice coupe has carpets of rare flowers, and water vole and otter signs were seen at Martlesham Wilds.
There have been exciting and rare birds recorded at Trimley Marshes this week, including a ring ouzel passing through, a short-eared owl, and a rare purple heron!
Purple herons are resident in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern and Eastern Asia, with breeding populations in continental and Southern Europe. Purple herons are very scarce visitors to the UK. Here, they usually make a journey on warm southerly winds during the spring, potentially staying into the summer. The purple heron is smaller and more evasive than the grey heron, their preferred habitat being dense waterside vegetation such as reedbed. Purple heron is under threat from the destruction and fragmentation of wetland habitat, which emphasises the importance of fantastic wetlands like Trimley Marshes.
Come and experience Trimley’s wonderful wetland wildlife at Trimley Marshes Open Day coming soon.
Purple heron at Trimley Marshes - Ellie Zantboer
Ring ouzel at Trimley Marshes - Justin Zantboer
Short eared owl at Trimley - Carl Earrye
Coppicing results
Last year’s coppice coupe at Bradfield Woods is covered in a carpet of colourful and rare plants at the moment, a testament to how coppicing benefits floristic diversity.
Herb paris – Anneke Emery
Water avens – Anneke Emery
Yellow archangel at Bradfield – Anneke Emery
Early purple orchids – Anneke Emery
Another bee-fly at Bradfield today – Anneke Emery
Water voles and otters at Martlesham Wilds
Surveys this week confirmed a healthy water vole population and otter presence at Martlesham Wilds. These are excellent records to add to our species baseline for this new reserve.
Water vole signs at Martlesham Wilds - Rowan Tomsett
The blustery skies on Friday very much putting the 'wild' into Martlesham Wilds – Rowan Tomsett
Nightingale at Black Bourn Valley
Reserves Intern Anneke Emery heard her first nightingale for Black Bourn Valley this week.
Water violet
Redgrave and Lopham Fen is looking lovely with water violet in flower.
Some lovely water violet at Redgrave and Lopham Fen – Anneke Emery
Some lovely water violet at Redgrave and Lopham Fen – Anneke Emery
Slo-mo bombus
More amazing slow-motion bee footage from Lackford Lakes, this time a bumblebee coming in to land.
Dawn survey birdsong
The north east reserve teams have been up at dawn doing bird surveys recently, their early starts have been rewarded with an array of bird species as well as sunrises and misty views.
Darsham Marshes bird survey - not the brightest of starts but still plenty about; barn owl, song thrush, whitethroat, Cettis warbler, green and great spotted woodpecker - Daniel Doughty
Management for livestock and visitors
The team at Carlton Marshes has also been busy preparing for summer visitors by foot and boat, and repairing fences for our conservation grazing cattle that are now back on site.
Gavin replacing some rails to keep cows and calves safely on the marshes at Carlton - Lewis Yates
Installing a preloved sign with an updated map to welcome visitors at the free 24hr moorings at Carlton. We get quite a few boat trippers staying overnight and waking up to Peto's Marsh - Lewis Yates
The first round of path cuts have begun at Carlton, it’s still muddy in places with recent rain, but there are also plenty of surfaced paths to enjoy.
Nest in the workshop
With a wonderful nature reserve on the doorstep, this robin has chosen to nest alongside the wardens in the workshop at Foxburrow. The chicks are sometimes getting supplementary flakey pastry when it’s lunch time!
Robins nesting in the workshop at Foxburrow – Joe Underwood
WIGGY walk at Lound Lakes
Lound Lakes Warden Andy Hickinbotham gave an informative and rewarding tour of the reserve for WIGGY (Women in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth) recently. Naturally, it finished with tea and cake!
Lound Lakes Warden Andy Hickinbotham gave an informative and rewarding tour of the reserve for WIGGY (Women in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth)
Lound Lakes Warden Andy Hickinbotham gave an informative and rewarding tour of the reserve for WIGGY (Women in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth)
Lound Lakes Warden Andy Hickinbotham gave an informative and rewarding tour of the reserve for WIGGY (Women in Gorleston and Great Yarmouth)