Trimley Marshes update No. 7

The Trimley Round Up  Number 7   - 14^th May – 30^th May  (Anna Alam)

Summer has at last arrived at Trimley and the temperatures have increased dramatically over the last 2 weeks. Although, it has been fairly quiet we have seen some excellent birds on the reserve.

Monday 14^th May.  A Wood Sandpiper was seen by Ernie and photographed by Will Brame (This super photo can be seen on BINS). The Wood Sandpiper is a fantastic little wading bird with superb summer plumage, it could still be seen as of May 30^th   and its exquisite markings can be seen by binoculars but more effectively with a telescope. 

Other arrivals to the summer flood hide were 2 male Ruff in summer plumage. Up to 3 Hobbies were also noted during this week of observations.

Hundreds of Swifts are still flying over the reserve and we are making the most of their flying displays before they make their return journeys back to the African continent in July.

There have been plenty of young arrivals over the last two weeks at a time when temperatures have increased.  The Swan by the visitors centre hide has at last seen her 4 cygnets hatch.  I watched her on the 25^th May when there appeared to be some movement in her nest, by Monday 28^th 4 cygnets were at last in the water. There are also 2 Coot chicks in the same vicinity. Many of the Greylag broods are now off the reserve and somewhere in the safety of the estuary.

Eggs are appearing for other species:  The Kestrel has 5 lovely eggs and the Barn owl has 5 eggs and we were very privileged to observe one tiny newly hatched Barn Owl chick during the week.  Pochard also has a nest on the reserve.  The Oystercatcher on the Shingle beach has produced a clutch of 3 eggs, which is in a very vulnerable location.

Sunday 27^th May we were very pleased to see a control Reed Warbler from San Sebastian, which appeared in our nets.  This could have been a bird originating from Trimley and it enables us to understand more about the complex migration routes of these lovely reed birds.

Other observations during the last 2 weeks include Little Egret, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and our first Cuckoo. Whitethroat and Lesser whitethroat can also be seen and heard.

 Grass Snake, Small white Butterflies and Orange Tips and the Common Blue Damselfly are now quite common.

I would like to thank all those contributing to the Trimley records, especially, Dave, Ernie, Big John and Mark.