Recent Wildlife Sightings 19th August - 6th September
Highlights: Red-Necked Phalarope, Osprey, Spoonbill, Curlew Sandpiper
The weather has taken a dreary turn here in Llanelli as the autumn approaches, and unfortunately (but not so much for the ducks) it seems we have left the sunshine behind in August.
Highlights: Red-Necked Phalarope, Osprey, Spoonbill, Curlew Sandpiper
We have been lucky enough to spot a Red-Necked Phalarope here at the wetlands recently, however as it was only a juvenile, it sported a rather drab white neck. They are particularly small birds as evident in the cover photo for this post, and have a tendency to swim along rather than wade through the water. The females are for a change the larger and more colourful partner in the species and fight over the males. They defend their partner from other females with good reason – it is the males that are left to incubate the eggs and rear the chicks while the female is off attempting to find a second mate or migrating southwards once it is too late in the season to lay more eggs.
Another surprising sight from two weeks ago was the brief appearance of an Osprey! It clearly did not want to stay for long as it stuck around for a mere 30 minutes, however it had time to land on the osprey post for a quick rest before continuing on its yearly return passage to West Africa.
As the autumn approaches, we are preparing to see many of our winter residents returning to the wetlands. The Spoonbill spotted at the British Steel Hide this week is a perfect example, and we hope to see more arriving soon. We had a record number of seventeen staying here last winter, and time will tell if we are able to beat that number this year.
Our final highlight species of the week is the Curlew Sandpiper, also spotted at the British Steel Hide. These little guys may look like miniature Curlews, with their similar colouration and curved beaks, but the two species only share a name and the family Scolopacidae.
An Otter has decided to pop its head out of the water recently, to the excitement of the kids watching from the Sir Peter Scott Hide. Green Sandpipers are also still passing through at the wetlands. Other interesting sightings of the past two weeks have included a Green Woodpecker in the car park looking for insects in the freshly cut grass, the rogue Hawaiian Nene on the Freshwater Lagoon who refuses to stay with his friends in the captive bird collection, and finally – an increasing number of Lapwing, Redshank, and Black-Tailed Godwit.
Featured Photo Credit: Christopher Onn
