10/06/2026
May wildlife highlights - breeding season in full swing.
Written by Rachel Reid – Volunteer.
Breeding season got well underway in May, and the reserve was bursting with new life. The first Lapwing chicks were spotted on the scrape on the 6th of May, and by the end of the month there were an estimated 18 chicks from seven broods (Photo 1). Lapwing nests are simple scrapes in mud or sand, where adults have a clear view of approaching predators. Both parents work hard to protect their young, using distraction displays to lure threats away from the nest. Once hatched, chicks can run and forage independently within hours, relying on their excellent camouflage and vigilant parents until they fledge at around 35 days. As a red-listed species in the UK, every successful breeding attempt is an important conservation success.
Little Ringed Plovers have also been regular visitors to the scrape throughout May with the first confirmed chick hatching on the 30th and three chicks recorded by the 31st (Photo 2). Little Ringed Plovers nest in shallow scrapes, and their chicks leave the nest soon after hatching to feed. Covered in camouflaged grey, brown down, they are difficult to spit against the surrounding stone and mud. Adults are well known for their dramatic "broken-wing" display, feigning injury to draw predators away from vulnerable chicks.
The Black-Headed Gull colony also enjoyed another successful start to the breeding season. The first chicks hatched on the 18th of May, and there are now more than 50 chicks spread across the floating rafts on the Aird Meadow loch (Photo 3). Black-Headed Gulls typically breed in large, noisy colonies on islands, reservoirs and gravel pits. The chicks are semi-precocial, meaning they can leave the nest shortly after hatching but continue to rely on both parents for food and protection for over a month before fledging.
Duck species have been equally busy. Eight Shoveler Ducklings were seen on the shallow waters of the scrape on the 29th of May (Photo 4). Female Shovelers typically lay between eight and twelve eggs, and if disturbed at the nest will sometimes cover the eggs with vegetation or even defecate on them to deter predators. The Ducklings hatch fully covered in down and quickly follow their mother to water, where they begin learning to feed for themselves before fledging at around 40-45 days.
A little later than usual, a pair of Spotted Flycatchers were recorded from the leaning rails on the Aird Meadow trail on the 15th which we had hoped would mean they will breed on the reserve again but unfortunately there was little sign of them since then. However, they may still be nesting nearby as further sightings were made on the 28th. (Photo 5). Spotted Flycatchers are late-arriving summer visitors UK and will typically return to their breeding territories in late May or Early June to breed. Spotted Flycatchers are late-arriving summer migrants, spending the winter in Africa before returning to the UK in late spring. They build nests from grass, lichens and twigs in a sheltered crevice and are fascinating birds to watch as they hunt insects, repeatedly darting from a perch to catch prey before returning to the same spot. Unfortunately, the species has been on the UK red list since 1996.
The reserve occasionally welcomes some unusual visitors, and this May was no exception. A Kittiwake was seen on the morning of the 4th on the scrape among the Black-Headed Gulls (photo 6). Kittiwakes are a red-listed seabird species that spend most of their lives at sea, returning to coastal cliffs each spring to breed. Population declines in some areas have been linked to shortages of Sandeels, one of their key food sources.
Another unusual visitor this month was a Black Tern, spotted feeding over the Aird Meadow loch on the 11th (Photo 7). The Black Tern used to breed in the UK until the late 1970s, with the last officially confirmed breeding record in the UK being in Nottingham in 1978. They are now primarily a passage migrant through the UK on inland waters and coasts during spring and autumn as they migrate from continental Europe to their wintering grounds in West Africa.
Swifts typically begun arriving back on the reserve in May (Photo 8). These remarkable birds travel from Africa each spring and spend most of their lives on the wing. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 69 mph in level flight and can even sleep while airborne. Swifts are highly faithful to their nest sites, returning to the same location each year.
A few lucky visitors were also treated on one of the reserves most iconic spring spectacles, Snipe drumming (Photo 9). This unusual sound is produced not by the bird’s voice, but by air rushing over the stuff outer tail feathers as the male dives through the sky during courtship displays. The resulting vibrating sound is most often heard at dawn and dusk and is one of the more distinctive signs of spring on the reserve.
There were many other highlights throughout May. Two Water Rail Chicks were spotted on the 25th, while an Osprey was seen feeding on the reserve on the 29th. The wet grassland and scrub have been alive with the songs of Sedge Warblers (Photo 10), and a Shelduck was seen feeding on the scrape on the 23rd. On the 10th, a Common Sandpiper was seen from the new section of the boardwalk, and a Wood Sandpiper was sighted on the scrapes.
