Latest News from Southwater & Warnham LNR

Slow-worm - S. Cocker

Slow-worm - S. Cocker

Slow-worm - S. Cocker

Now the kids have gone back to school the weather starts to play its nasty trick and come out sunny again. It seems to happy every September that as soon as the autumn term start the Indian summer arrives and baths us and the wildlife in warm sunshine. Sue Cocker made the most of the last of the summer weather when she came across this lovely Slow-worm at Southwater Quarry.

Wasp Spider - Warnham LNR

Exciting news came through at the weekend when a single female Wasp Spider was found on Mill Meadow at Warnham. This is brilliant news for us as there has not been a sighting since the 1st August 2006. We have no idea where she has come from but fingers crossed it might be the start of another colony, especially as the colony at Southwater now seems to have all but died out.



Staying at Warnham it is nearly time that the five British White Cattle are to move to pasture new at Chesworth Farm where they will play a vital role there in aftermath grazing the hay cut. As you might have guessed from the dumper trucks in the background we have been busy once again at the Sandpiper Scrape and have carried out some more of the wetland restoration scrapes in front of the Sandpiper Hide. Once this has been completed I will do another post to bring everyone up to date.

Warnham LNR

Tench - S. Card

Whilst strimming the small amount of vegetation in front of the Tern Hide Stu managed to catch a small Tench! They are stunning looking fish.

Also of note once the strimming was finished we went back into the Tern Hide to check we had cut everything back we needed too and a Common Sandpiper was already sitting in the island!

Warnham LNR - Latest Sightings

Depressaria daucella - Warnham LNR

Depressaria daucella - Warnham LNR

Walking around the Reserve at the moment you may well notice that some of the flowers of Hemlock Water Dropwort appear to be stunted and closed up. This is actually caused by a micro moth called Depressaria daucella. If you look closely you can see that the caterpillar has made a small tunnel to hide in when predators are around.

Horsham Green Gym - D. Jessop

 This week has also seen Horsham Green Gym return to the Reserve to carry on the development of the scrapes viewable from the Sandpiper Hide. The above image is how the new section started, with the area marked out and the diggers all looking eager!

Scrape Digging - D. Jessop

 Soon enough the group had started to make headway and before long the scrape was starting to take shape. There are several of these to dig out this summer so hopefully each of them will hold water later in the year to attract wading birds. When digging out a scrape it is essential that the edges are not to steep to allow the water to gradually recede during dry weather.

Finished Scrape - D. Jessop

And after a hard mornings work and plenty of biscuits the first scrape is done. Well done to everyone who came along it looks brilliant. Hopefully the rain forecast this weekend will fill up the first pool nicely. If you would like to come along for the next Horsham Green Gym session at the scrape they are next here on Thursday 3rd July.

Owlbeech Woods - Heathland Pools

Black-tailed Skimmer - S. Card

The new heathland pools which Horsham Green Gym excavated over the autumn and winter are really starting to achieve what was hoped for. Over the past few days seven species of dargonfly and damselfly have been recorded including Emperor, Four-spotted Chaser and the immature male Black-tailed Skimmer photographed above.

Warnham LNR - A Busy Weekend

A very busy week at Warnham LNR with plenty of new bits for you to come and look at. The bird nesting season is in full swing and we already have some little balls of fluff running around! At the top end of the Reserve on the new Scrape which is viewable form the 2nd Boardwalk or the new Sandpiper Hide Mrs Mallard has been proudly showing off her 11 little ducklings.

We have also had a couple of other visitors to the new Scrape which should start to slowly drop in water level as the year progresses. The first of the new visitors was this stunning male Shoveler. I am pretty sure it is the male which has spent the winter on the millpond relocating but he certainly seems to be happy there as is regularly heard calling to attract a mate.

Shoveler - Sandpiper Hide

Shoveler - Sandpiper Hide

This morning there was also a Stock Dove drinking from the edge of the stream as well as pair of Mandarin which were mating on the island. A flyover Common Buzzard sent the Mallard ducklings scattering for cover but they soon reappeared to carry on feeding on the emergent weeds.

Stock Dove - Warnham LNR

We have also had a pair of Grey Wagtails which seem to be finding plenty to eat along the edges of the muddy scrape. Whilst on the subject of Grey Wagtails we seem to be blessed with three pairs this year and our recorder Jo Glossop managed to take this stunning image last week.

Grey Wagtail - J. Glossop

We have also had a number of migrant birds arriving with two White Wagtails flying over on Saturday morning as well as numerous Chiffchaff's spread all around the Reserve. On Friday we heard our first Blackcap of this spring followed by another on Saturday morning in the Courtyard.

Chiffchaff - Warnham LNR

What will this week bring...well hopefully some baby Grey Heron's on the nest camera. The first egg is due to hatch on Weds or Thurs of this week so our fingers are firmly crossed. We are also still awaiting out first hirundine of the spring so maybe that will be this week too.