Wildlife Update - spotters corner.

Only just found the real kynnersley reservoir hidden behind a screen of trees,quite impressive,cold nights have limited bat appearances,just daubenton and soprano pipistrelle,in the ditches found a bullhead,and the biggest minnows ive seen,whilst doing wader survey on nearby farm an oystercatcher flew over,plenty of mining and nomad bees about,also Hairy Footed Flower Bee

Still been doing my weekly visits to the weald,the water levels have receded now,but oystercatcher and shelduck still in the northern weald.

Small finch flocks still about saw my first swallow last week.

Night visits to kynnersley reservoir now include bats as well as barn owls and woodcock,as forgot my bat detector had to do visual id for the bats,daubentons were feeding over the water and had silvery chest,whilst piperstrelles,are small bats with fast erratic flight.

Corn buntings are singing in the northen weald,last week came accross a march of toads heading for the ditches,which have water crickets on the surface look like they are playing dodgems.

Came accross a patch of spring beauty photo to follow

2nd March Night visit kynnersley reservoir area,approx 40 pink footed geese,2 barn owl,1 tawny owl,2 otter droppings,1 water vole,1 woodcock,2 snipe

The barn owls fly over from the east

The hedgehogs in our garden are out and about, the long winter sleep is over so I have started feeding, they must be hungry!! Hellebores and the flowering Pulmonaria are proving to be a good early nectar source for our early bees. We have already recorded Tree Bee, Early and Ivy Mining Bee.

The nest boxes are busy. Great Tits are busy knocking chunks out the new House Sparrow apartment!. Blue tits have been prospecting every box in the garden including the old House Sparrow apartment box. The House Sparrow hen is removing old nest material from her nest box and the male is taking new nest material into another one of the three hole apartment. They will get it right eventually.