Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve: May 2020

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Friday 15th May

Our kestrels incubated their eggs for 23.5 hours today. 5 food passes.

Saturday 16th May

Leonard Winchcombe: 2 Black-necked Grebe & Cuckoo.

Dina Burford: Hobby.

19th site record of Black-necked Grebe, last reported 01/04/20.

Cuckoo is the 113th bird species recorded in 2020.

We all know it can be tricky keeping your plumage in top shape during lockdown, especially when expecting 5 kids any day now. 4 food passes today & the eggs covered for all but 9 minutes.

Sunday 17th May

John Hunt: 2 Little Grebe.

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

Dina Burford: Common Grape Vine (Vitis vinifera) - new species for site.

That feeling when your partner wakes you on a Sunday evening with a tasty snack. 7 food passes today & the eggs covered for 97% of the day.

Monday 18th May

We were grateful to have Roger Dickey back on site to check the nest boxes and ring birds today, following an update to the BTO's COVID-19 advice for ringers. "48 pulli ringed, 23 pulli still too small, several eggs yet to hatch and 2 wood mice conducting a sit-in." Welcome back Roger!

More F1 style changeovers from our kestrels today. Eggs covered for all but 18 minutes. 6 food passes.

Tuesday 19th May

Our kestrels incubated their eggs for all but 7 minutes today, with the male sitting for almost 4 hours. 5 food passes today

Wednesday 20th May

Roger Dickey was ringing on site again today - great to have his support and expertise.

It got a bit hot in the kestrel box today so the female switched to shading her eggs (& panting to regulate her body temperature). 5 food passes. Eggs covered for 97% of the day.

Thursday 21st May

Paul Mannering: Green Veined White - first of the year.

The kestrels continue to do a great job, with their eggs due to hatch any day now. Eggs covered for all but 11 minutes today. 5 food passes.

Friday 22nd May

Kevin Duncan: 2 Spoonbill (adult & immature, low over west, then in the Meadow from 08:00 to 08:45).

Leonard Winchcombe: 2 White Stork (over early morning, presumed reintroduced birds).

5th site record of Spoonbill, last recorded 29/09/16. 114th bird species recorded in 2020.

Distinct change of behaviour from the female Kestrel today who twice brought her meals back to the box to eat. Getting ready to feed young? Eggs covered for all but 23mins. 5 food passes.

Saturday 23rd May

Alan Brown: Spotted Flycatcher.

11th site record of Spotted Flycatcher, last recorded 19/09/19. 115th bird species recorded in 2020.

Our 1st Kestrel egg hatched at 07:19 this morning, & the 2nd at 11:09. The female brooded the eggs & young for 22.5 hours. The Male brought back 4 meals which were supplemented by prey the female cached in the box yesterday.

Sunday 24th May

John Hunt: Hobby.

Richard Horton: 4 juvenile Little Grebe & 4 Lapwing (possibly 2 pairs).

Colin Varndell: Yellowhammer.

Yellowhammer is the 116th bird species recorded in 2020, last recorded 28/08/19.

Little Grebe last bred on site in 2014.

The first Black-headed Gull chicks hatched today, and the 2nd Mute Swan pair to breed on site this year have at least 3 young in the Bat Pool.

The 3rd Kestrel chick hatched at 11:30 this morning. The female fed her young almost hourly, with the male bringing 3 meals to add to the cache in the box (including 2 birds). Eggs/young covered for 22 hours.

Monday 25th May

Sean Foote and Abi Jacobs recorded 13 new species for site today:

Common Red-legged Robberfly (Dioctria rufipes),
Creeping Cinquefoil Sawfly (Macrophya annulata),
Red-girdled Mining Bee (Andrena labiata),
Hairy Yellow-faced Bee (Hylaeus hyalinatus),
Brown-footed Leafcutter Bee (Megachile versicolor),
Woodcarving Leafcutter Bee (Megachile ligniseca),
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida),
Shiny-margined Mini-miner (Andrena semilaevis),
Impunctate Mini-miner (Andrena subopaca),
Chocolate Mining Bee (Andrena scotica),
Woundwort Shieldbug (Eysacoris venustissimus),
Marbled White Spot (Deltote pygarga),
Small Longhorn Moth (Chaucas rufimitrella).

Plus one Sphecodes species (Blood Bee) to confirm, an Orange-tailed Clearwing to the lure and a Water Shrew. We're so lucky to have two such wonderful naturalists as part of our team.

We have now recorded 1,405 species on site:

The male Kestrel brought back a record 9 prey items today, and also met his offspring for the 1st time. 2 eggs still to hatch. Female feeding young roughly every 40 minutes.

Tuesday 26th May

Another hot day saw the female Kestrel only covering the eggs/young for 74% of the day. The Male brought back 6 meals. 2 eggs still to hatch.

Wednesday 27th May

The Kestrels continue to do a great job. 6 food deliveries by the male. The female brooded the 2 remaining eggs & 3 young for 77% of the day.

The female Barn Owl continues to sit on 3 eggs. The 1st was laid 36 days ago - they usually hatch after 31-32 days.

Thursday 28th May

The male Kestrel brought back 9 meals today, with the female feeding her 3 chicks roughly every 30 minutes. Still no sign of the last 2 eggs hatching.

Friday 29th May

Dina Burford recorded Swifts flying around, and landing on/in the Swift Tower this evening. Looks promising!

Another change in behaviour for the kestrels today, with the female hunting for the 1st time in a month & the male feeding the young for the 1st time - though he needs to learn to tear their food up! 8 prey deliveries today. Young covered 66% of day.