Despite the cool breeze, it was hot enough in the frontal dunes at Ainsdale to make it worth a quick look for Sand Lizards this evening after work.
Dave Pennington had scored eight during the course of the day, with a further five Common Lizards.
I didn't do as well, seeing a nice female Common Lizard, and this single stonking male Sand Lizard, which popped out of a clump of marram as I stood still in a suitable sunny spot.
Nice green crowned beastie - I love the way they forage in the frontal dunes regardless of the numbers of daytrippers tramping about, and the way most visitors are completely unaware of their presence.
The sea mists cooled the earlier part of the day down on the coast, but there were plenty of Chiffchaffs singing and, when the sun did come out, every low sandy bank in Birkdale dunes appeared to be busy with Vernal Mining Bees.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Got some footage of the Great Grey Shrike at Longridge Fell this week - extreme range and shimmery conditions, but you can watch it on YouTube at this address:
http://youtu.be/L85lFLKvQm0
Staff at RSPB Leighton Moss at Silverdale have been celebrating after hearing the reserve’s resident male Bittern boom for the first time this year.
Experts believe that the loudness of the call may serve as an indicator of its health.
Robin Horner, Site Manager at Leighton Moss, explains: “In the past two years, the lone male Bittern’s call has been very quiet but this year his first calls have been much stronger. We think that this could mean that the bird is in better breeding condition, and therefore has a better chance of attracting a mate. We have all ready seen several evening flights of pairs of Bitterns which could indicate courtship behaviour so this is encouraging for the coming season.”
Robin and his team are also delighted with the increase in the number of Bittern sightings during the winter from different parts of the reserve, indicating a healthy wintering population.
He continues: “This winter, we saw record numbers of sightings at the Barrow Scout Fields and Silverdale Moss, areas of the reserve where we have created new reedbeds, with the aim of attracting Bitterns. We hope that one day some of these wintering Bitterns will decide to take up permanent residence at the reserve.”
This will require considerable ongoing effort as reedbeds need to be carefully managed to ensure they provide suitable habitat for Bitterns. If not managed properly, reedbeds can get clogged up with sediment, which has a detrimental impact on fish stocks, the staple diet of the Bittern. This is why - thanks to a generous grant from the SITA Trust - Leighton Moss have invested in machinery, which helps prevent the build up of silt and reinvigorates the reedbed.
Besides encouraging Bitterns to Leighton Moss, the RSPB wants to attract the birds to the wider Morecambe Bay areas as part of a landscape-scale conservation project. The Morecambe Bay Futurescape aims to restore and create a network of wildlife-rich wetland habitats on the coastal plain around Morecambe Bay and along the adjacent river valleys.
Robins Horner continues: “If we want a sustainable future for our wildlife, we need to extend our conservation efforts beyond our nature reserves and out into the wider countryside. This is why we are working with a variety of partners and land managers as part of the Morecambe Bay Wildlife Network to provide habitat for Bitterns and other wetland life around the whole of Morecambe Bay.”