Spring Sightings

To the delight of our volunteers, Moorhens have been using the nesting platform that is floating in the middle of the lake. Visitors have been keeping a keen eye on the development of the nest and yesterday we were lucky enough to see the chicks take their first jump into the water. In no time at all the adults had them hidden away in the thick vegetation around the water’s edge.

Large Red Damselflies were seen on the reserve this morning, the first sighting of the season. These damselflies can take up to three years to grow into mature adults; during their development the larvae typically have 11 growth stages. Unusually for dragonflies, the larvae are aggressive and display territorial behaviour.

Next weekend is our Birdsong Breakfast, for this fantastic event we meet at the Field Centre at 5am before heading around the reserve on a guided walk to enjoy the dawn chorus. We will also be visiting a nearby Black Grouse lek before heading to Wathgill for a cooked breakfast. This is one of the few events we charge for (£5) and there are still spaces available. If you would like to book on this please contact the reserve managers on 01748 831113 or visit our events page.