Reserves Update

Hazelwood: Lots of Dragonflies today including Emperor and several Small Red-eyed Damselflies.  Butterflies included Grayling and Painted Lady.

Snape Marshes: Stuart (Ipswich Team Leader) and volunteers were busy managing one of the herb rich meadows today, they will also be there tomorrow (I hope that it does not rain!).  Up to 5 Barn Owls are being seen on the marsh now that the young ones have fledged.

Trimley Marshes: There is an excellent assemblage of waders and wildfowl on the reservoir.  Wader species include Green and Common Sandpipers, Greenshank, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Redshank and Lapwing.  The first Wigeon of the winter have also arrived. 

Small Red-eyed Damselflies can be seen well from the reservoir hide.

The reserve is also home to a number of nationally scarce plants.  The reserve is one of only a few places in Suffolk where you can see the three species below.  The photographs were taken over the weekend of Rock Samphire, Golden Samphire and Shrubbery Seablite.

Levington Lagoon

We have started the annual task of cutting and removing the clippings from the lagoon area.  This is in readiness for the breeding season next year and for this coming winter period for roosting waders.

Observations included 30 Golden Plover, Dunlin, Greenshank and 4 Turtle Dove.  Just past the screen in the long grass there were several Wasp Spiders, these can be seen from the footpath.

Chiffchaff

Early morning is the best time to see our summer migrants on their southerly movements back to Africa.  These last few days Chiffchaffs have been very much in evidence as they flit through bushy scrub.  They were one of the first summer migrants to arrive (late March/early April) and now they are heading back to their wintering quarters having probably had two broods.

The picture below was taken on Sunday at Levington; it is a young bird, not long out of the nest - note its yellow gape.

Trimley Reserve

I am now into the cutting season and have lots of work to do.  I would love to hear from anyone wishing to help i.e. raking up clippings etc.  There is plenty of tea, good company and lots of birds to see.

The Red-crested Pochard was present again today and there were 10 Common Sandpipers. 

A Water Rail was seen from the reservoir hide.

Trimley Reserve update

Autumn passage migrant waders are being seen daily; these include Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper.  On Saturday there was a Red-crested Pochard.

In the herb rich grassland by the track Roesel's Bush Crickets are plentiful and the first Wasp Spiders of the season are now being seen.

Reserves Update

Two Spoonbills at Trimley.

At the moment it is excellent for butterflies at Newbourne Springs.  Species include Ringlets, Purple Hairstreaks, White-letter Hairstreak and two White Admirals (per Mike Wise).

Two interpretation boards have now been erected at Snape Marshes.

Trimley Reserve Update

I only had one volunteer with me today but between us we completed a rewarding amount of work, mainly grass cutting using a tractor and topper, brush cutter and mower.

The usual migrant waders were present.  The Spoonbill was seen several times and there a Hobby was hunting House and Sand Martins.

There was also a stunning example of an Emperor Moth caterpillar.