Wilden Marsh Nature Reserve

Wilden Marsh Nature Reserve A living diary of Wilden Marsh. Wildlife, weather and the small truths revealed, written and photographed by its long time marsh warden.

Welcome to Wilden Marsh

I’m Wildenmarshmike — nature lover, photographer, and Warden of Wilden Marsh Nature Reserve (SSSI). Most days, you’ll find me out with my camera and my black Welsh Cocker Spaniel, Spike, exploring local wildlife and capturing the beauty of each season. This blog is my visual diary: moments that catch my eye as I wander. Sometimes I’ll misidentify a species — but that’s par

t of the fun and the learning. No long journeys, no elaborate setups — just me and the marsh. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as we do.

The Speckled Wood - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 756 - 16th June 2026There are butterflies that announce themselves with brillian...
16/06/2026

The Speckled Wood - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 756 - 16th June 2026

There are butterflies that announce themselves with brilliance. The Peacock flashes its painted eyes. The Red Admiral burns with black and crimson. The Brimstone shines like a scrap of sunlight caught in a hedge.

Then there is the Speckled Wood.

It is a butterfly of shade and dappled light, of woodland rides, tangled bramble patches and half-forgotten corners. A creature that seems made not from colour, but from the interplay of sunlight and shadow.

This one settled briefly on a fresh blackberry leaf, wings held open to catch the warmth. Its markings echoed the woodland floor itself: browns, creams and amber rings, colours that disappear amongst bark, dead leaves and summer shade. Evolution has taught it that survival often depends on not being noticed.

The Speckled Wood is an unusual butterfly. Rather than seeking open meadows and flower-rich grassland, it prefers the margins where woodland and scrub meet. Males establish territories in shafts of sunlight and will vigorously defend them against rivals, spiralling upwards in aerial contests before returning to their chosen patch.

At Wilden Marsh, where scrub, hedgerow and young woodland blend into reedbed and meadow, it finds exactly the habitat it needs.

Its presence tells an environmental story. The Speckled Wood was once largely confined to southern woodland. Over recent decades it has expanded its range and increased in numbers across much of Britain. Warmer temperatures and the spread of suitable habitat have helped its success.

Yet its good fortune should not distract us from a wider truth. Butterflies remain among the most sensitive indicators of environmental health. Across the country many species continue to decline as wildflower meadows disappear, hedgerows are lost and landscapes become increasingly fragmented.

Every butterfly is more than a butterfly. It is pollinator, prey, herbivore and participant in a web of life far larger than itself. Caterpillars feed birds. Adults pollinate flowers. Their abundance or absence tells us much about the state of the land.

So when a Speckled Wood settles quietly on a bramble leaf, it is worth pausing for a moment. Not because it is rare. Not because it is spectacular.

But because it belongs.

And in a world where so much wildlife is struggling to hold its place, seeing a butterfly still thriving amongst the shadows of Wilden Marsh feels like a small reassurance that nature has not yet surrendered the ground.

The future blackberry crop begins here - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 756 - 15th June 2026A bee hangs beneath a blackberry flower...
15/06/2026

The future blackberry crop begins here - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 756 - 15th June 2026

A bee hangs beneath a blackberry flower, suspended between air and blossom, as if the laws of gravity have been briefly relaxed. The flower offers its pollen and nectar. The bee accepts the bargain.

At this time of year, the bramble patches around Wilden Marsh are coming into their own. Their white flowers seem almost untidy, scattered through the hedgerows and along the paths, yet they are among the most important plants on the reserve. Every bloom is a feeding station.

This worker bee is carrying out a task that has remained unchanged for millions of years. She moves from flower to flower, collecting pollen to feed the developing brood back in the hive and gathering nectar that will eventually become honey. In doing so, she performs an even greater service. Pollen grains are transferred between blossoms, allowing plants to set fruit and seed.

The marsh depends upon thousands of such transactions each day. Most pass unnoticed. A bee visits a flower. A flower produces a blackberry. A blackberry feeds a blackbird, a fox, or perhaps a passing walker. One small act becomes part of a much larger chain.

Standing beside the brambles, it is easy to overlook the significance of this tiny insect. Yet without pollinators, many of the flowers we enjoy would fail, many fruits would disappear, and much of the richness of the countryside would be diminished.

So while the fox cubs quarrel, the herons fish, and the buzzard chick grows ever larger, the real work of summer continues at a far smaller scale. A bee at a blossom. A harvest in the making.

Scorpion Fly on the Marsh - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 755 - 15th June 2026At first glance it looks like something left over fr...
15/06/2026

Scorpion Fly on the Marsh - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 755 - 15th June 2026

At first glance it looks like something left over from the age of dinosaurs.

Perched silently on a leaf beside the path was this remarkable scorpion fly. Despite its alarming appearance, it is completely harmless to people. The long beak-like snout and intricately patterned wings give it an almost prehistoric look, as though it belongs in a museum rather than a Worcestershire wetland.

The name comes from the male's upturned tail, which resembles a scorpion's sting, although this individual appears to be a female. There is no sting and no danger. Instead, these curious insects spend much of their time searching vegetation for dead insects, decaying matter and other small food items.

Scorpion flies are one of those creatures that many people walk past without ever noticing. Yet once seen, they are difficult to forget. Their stained-glass wings and strange profile make them one of the most distinctive insects of early summer.

On a marsh famous for foxes, herons, badgers and buzzards, it is easy to overlook the smaller inhabitants. But every leaf and nettle patch supports a hidden world of insects, each playing its own part in the life of the reserve.

The scorpion fly's role is that of a recycler. Feeding on dead insects and organic debris, it helps return nutrients to the ecosystem. It is part of the clean-up crew that quietly works behind the scenes, helping keep nature's cycles turning. In turn, scorpion flies themselves become food for birds, spiders and other predators.

Nothing on the marsh exists in isolation. From the heron standing motionless by the water's edge to this strange little insect resting on a leaf, each species is linked to countless others in an intricate web of life.

Today, it was the scorpion fly's turn to remind me that some of the marsh's most fascinating residents are also among its smallest.

Wilden Marsh. A world of wonders, if you remember to look closely enough.

Fox Cubs outside the Den - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 754 - 14th June 2026Late evening on Wilden Marsh, and the fox cubs are wa...
14/06/2026

Fox Cubs outside the Den - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 754 - 14th June 2026

Late evening on Wilden Marsh, and the fox cubs are waiting outside the den.

Waiting is perhaps the wrong word.

One cub seemed determined to be first in line when mum or dad returned with the evening meal. The other has different ideas. There followed a lively disagreement involving much posturing, tail waving and indignant squeaking.

For a few minutes they forgot all about food and concentrated instead on settling an argument that neither could possibly win.

The marsh has entered that curious lull between spring and summer. The heron chicks are growing fast, many birds have finished singing, and the landscape feels quieter than it did a few weeks ago.

Yet among the grasses and nettles, life goes on.

Tonight, the fox cubs provided the entertainment.

A Few Images from a Saturday Morning in June - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 753 - 13th June 2026Some mornings on the marsh seem f...
13/06/2026

A Few Images from a Saturday Morning in June - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 753 - 13th June 2026

Some mornings on the marsh seem full of movement, others empty.

A fox cubs appeared briefly, waiting for their breakfast. Red Dog materialised as usual, keeping a watchful eye on my progress. The buzzard chick sat quietly above the meadows, while a coot and a female mallard went about their business on the water.

None of these encounters lasted long. Most were over in moments. Yet together they formed the fabric of a June morning at Wilden Marsh.

Wildlife is often portrayed as dramatic, but much of it consists of small observations gathered over time. These eight images are simply a few fragments from a walk that began shortly after dawn.

11/06/2026

A City Built on the Canopy without Planning Permission - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 752 - 11th June2026

Between the River Stour and the Worcester & Staffordshire Canal lies a ten-acre island.

For most of the year, it gives little clue to what it contains, yet hidden among its willows is a heronry containing more than fifty breeding nests.

Viewed from the ground, the colony is largely concealed by leaves and branches. From the air, however, the scale of it becomes clear. Nest after nest appears among the treetops, revealing one of the largest gatherings of birds on Wilden Marsh. I check the heronry each February, before the willows leaf out. A few months later, the birds are once again hidden behind a curtain of green.

A colony of this size has a huge appetite. Throughout the breeding season, adult herons commute between the heronry and various local marshes, ponds and channels, searching for food for themselves and their growing young.

The hunting sequences in this video were filmed on Otter Holt Pond, where patient birds stalk the shallows before striking with astonishing speed.

By late summer, the young herons will have fledged and dispersed. The nests will stand empty, and the city above the trees will fall silent until another spring.

From Buzzard Egg to Predator (Part 2) - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 752 - 11th June 2026A few weeks before, this buzzard was not...
11/06/2026

From Buzzard Egg to Predator (Part 2) - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 752 - 11th June 2026

A few weeks before, this buzzard was nothing more than an egg hidden deep within a tangled nest high above the marsh.

Now it stares out across Wilden with the look of a bird already assessing the world around it.

The fluffy white down remains, giving it the appearance of a toy, but appearances deceive. Beneath that coat, the transformation is already underway. The hooked bill has formed. The feet that will one day seize rabbits and rats are growing stronger by the day. Every meal delivered by its parents brings it a step closer to becoming one of the marsh's most efficient hunters.

From the ground, viewed through gaps in the foliage, the youngster lifted its head above the rim of the nest. For a moment, it seemed completely alone. Then a shadow passed overhead, and the chick instantly became alert. Somewhere nearby, one of the adults was keeping watch.

The nest itself is a remarkable structure. A rough platform of sticks woven into the embrace of the tree and now almost swallowed by honeysuckle and summer growth. Hidden from casual view, it has provided shelter from wind, rain and predators throughout the spring.

Soon, the youngster will begin exercising its wings. Before long, it will venture onto nearby branches. Then comes the leap every young buzzard must make: the first flight.

For now, though, it remains suspended between two worlds. No longer an egg. Not yet a hunter.

Just a young buzzard waiting for its moment.

The Vixen Plans Her Next Move - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 751 - 10th June 2026The vixen sat at the edge of North Pond, watchin...
10/06/2026

The Vixen Plans Her Next Move - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 751 - 10th June 2026

The vixen sat at the edge of North Pond, watching the ducks.

She wasn't hunting. Not yet.

For ten minutes she sat perfectly still on the eastern bank, studying the pond and the birds upon it. The ducks ignored her completely.

Hidden inside a large holly bush between North Pond and the river, I watched her through my camera. Sometimes a tawny owl roosts above me in the same bush. It must be a remarkably relaxed owl because it never flies when I arrive, provided I enter quietly enough.

The vixen visits this spot regularly. She watches, waits, then melts back into the scrub. At first glance, it looks as though she is doing nothing at all.

From experience, I know better.

She is learning the ducks' habits and getting them accustomed to seeing her nearby. Then she waits hidden in the scrub for one to stray too close to the bank.

I have seen her burst from the vegetation with a duck clamped firmly in her jaws, so it is a strategy that works.

Here, she was planning her next move.

From Buzzard Egg to Predator - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 750 - 9th June 2026Something caused me to look up towards a tangle of...
09/06/2026

From Buzzard Egg to Predator - WILDEN MARSH DIARY: 750 - 9th June 2026

Something caused me to look up towards a tangle of honeysuckle, ivy and branches.

From its hiding place among the leaves, a buzzard chick stood up and stretched its wings.

It showed itself for a few seconds before melting back into its nest.

At a guess, the chick is still four or five weeks away from fledging.

It is strange to think that this bird began life as a single egg. Soon it will become one of the marsh's top predators.

For now, its world is a platform of sticks hidden high above the ground. Food arrives. Shelter is provided. Safety is almost guaranteed.

But the nest is becoming too small.

The downy feathers that kept it warm are beginning to give way to proper flight feathers. Instinct is urging it towards a future it cannot possibly understand.

At some point in the weeks ahead, the young buzzard will step away from everything it has ever known and trust its wings.

Most will survive.

Some will not.

That is the bargain every wild creature makes.

Standing beneath the tree, I was reminded that growing up is rarely comfortable. Whether you are a buzzard, a badger, a rabbit or a human being, there comes a moment when the nest is no longer enough.

And when that moment arrives, there is only one thing left to do.

Trust its wings.

If all goes well, this post is the first part of “From Egg to Predator”, a series following a young buzzard from the nest to its first flight.

09/06/2026

A nice phone video of a marsh barn owl hunting.

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Kidderminster

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