A trip to Sutcliffe Park LNR last week to do a BTO survey, but also to check on the population of Reed Warblers that nest there in the small reed bed.
The local nature reserve here consists of the river course of the river Quaggy and a lake with a reed bed. It is an amazing site as it is in a built up area surrounded by houses and tower blocks, yet holds a wide variety of wildlife.
The first area along the river was relatively quiet with just a few birds recorded, so I moved onto the Lake area.
I could hear Reed Warbler singing in the reed bed and was fortunate to see them flying from one reedbed to another.
Overhead were 3 Common Swifts, probably the last to arrive of our common summer migrants, these were my first sighting of the year of this species
On the Lake was one of the resident Little Grebe, looking resplendent in summer plumage.
I continued my walk along the edge of the reed bed trying to estimate how many singing Reed Warblers I could hear. In all I estimate that there were probably around 6 birds singing in total, although it can be difficult if they are too close together. I also heard a Cettis Warbler, another bird of the Reedbed, which I have not recorded here before.
There is one area which is usually very good for Common Blue Butterfly and I was not disappointed despite the not very favourable weather (cool and windy) and I found 3 hunkering down amongst the grass.
Completing my circuit I had recorded 26 species of birds and 1 species of Butterfly.
On my journey home I had to change buses in the High St and as I waited for my bus, a Peregrine Falcon flew low over the High St. It made me wonder if the bird we had in the area of the High St for much of last Summer had returned. I will need to check out it’s favourite roosting / perching spot. A good end to a morning’s wildlife watching.
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