Wildlife update by visitor ranger Sophie Rolfe

It's time for another monthly wildlife update! Despite the cold, damp and intermittent sun, spring is well and truly springing in the Park.

Some of the avian highlights in April included:

• Egyptian Goose
• Snipe
• Common Scoter
• Peregrine
• Common Tern – have started arriving for the summer, we’ll be putting the raft out very soon in Overton Lake with the hope they’ll nest on it. They’re great to watch fishing on the lakes.
• Cattle Egret
• Osprey
• House Martin
• Merlin
• Marsh Harrier
• Whitethroat
• Redstart
• Whooper Swan – showing well at Thorpe Meadows on the Rowing Lake
• Nightingale – heard around the Goldie Meadow area and Orton Mere
• Lesser Whitethroat
• Cuckoo – heard calling near Goldie Meadow
• Sand Martin
• Common Sandpiper
• Great White Egret – seen on the river near Castor Mill
• Hobby

Other highlights: 

• Meadow Saxifrage is flowering nicely in Ham Farm House garden (little white flowers with 5 petals, and fairly long stalks). It is a nationally declining plant but still doing well in our office garden!
• Butterflies: Speckled Wood, Orange Tip (one of my favourites!), Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell to name a few
• Bluebells are looking cracking out in Bluebell Wood, don't miss out on this spectacular sight
• Wild Garlic is smelling great and starting to flower in Bluebell Wood
• The Cherry trees in the Jubilee Garden are looking great in full blossom at the moment

As ever, please keep us informed if you spot anything exciting on your May walks and share your photographs with [email protected].