Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR

06/06/2026

Sea milkwort is now flowering along the edges of the saltmarsh, its delicate clusters of pale pink flowers adding subtle colour to the landscape.

This small but important plant thrives in salty conditions and provides a valuable nectar source for a range of insects.

Keep an eye out for this plant while walking the path between the dunes and saltmarsh around Sea View and Rimac.

Photo - Peter Roworth.

06/06/2026

⚠️ Be Tick Aware. ⚠️

When visiting the countryside, such as National Nature Reserves, it is important to be tick aware. You can best prevent getting ticks, or the associated health problems, by following the steps below.

The key points are; remember to dress appropriately, wear insect repellent and check yourself for ticks regularly, and safely remove any ticks you find.

More information can be found by following this link;
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tick-surveillance-scheme

05/06/2026

It’s been fantastic to see so much life in the recently created pools across the dunes over the past few weeks, with tadpoles developing well and dragonflies already active over the water 🐸

By carefully depending some naturally low-lying areas within drier parts of the dunes, we’ve been able to create and connect pockets of freshwater across the landscape, helping to support a wider range of species.

04/06/2026

Viper’s Bugloss is starting to come into flower across the dunes, bringing a striking splash of vivid blue. Its name comes from the spotted stems, once thought to resemble a viper’s markings, and the shape of the flowers, which were said to look like a snake’s head.

This nectar-rich plant is a vital resource for insects, and in the coming weeks it will be alive with bees, butterflies and other pollinators taking full advantage of its abundant flowers.

Photo - Peter Roworth.

03/06/2026

Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR

WildNews Report

27th May - 2nd June 2026

Contributors: - Matt Blissett, Ruth Taylor, Owen Beaumont, Peter & Janet Roworth, John Walker, Cliff Morrison, Dean Nicholson and Chris Atkin. Thank you to all other contributors.

270526 – 2 hobby hunting over Rimac dunes in the evening.

280526 – avocet on Paradise Lagoon in the morning. Cuckoo calling Saltfleet Haven area. Butterflies – good numbers of painted lady around the dunes, including 20+ between Brickyard Lane and Sear’s Track, and 10+ around Mablethorpe North End.

290526 – cuckoo pair flew south over Rimac dunes, and a pair later seen around Sea View. Barn owl on scrub south of Rimac, and hobby perched in dunes before flying south. Grasshopper warbler reeling MOD outer dune ridge. Yellow wagtail and 2 avocet flew south over Rimac. 2 adult Mediterranean gulls and 4 red kites flew south over Mablethorpe North End throughout the day. Lapwing chicks still around Rimac car park scrape, and another pair with new chicks Rimac Natterjack pools area. Butterflies – 24 painted, 6 red admiral lady Sea View-Paradise. Moths – 2 hummingbird hawk-moths around Sea View and Churchill Lane. Odonata – male banded demoiselle in meadow bordering dunes at Brickyard Lane. 10+ male and 1+ female red-veined darter Rimac freshwater marsh/easy access trail, and 12+ hairy dragonflies along freshwater marsh double ditch and easy access trail pools. Fox family including 3 cubs in dunes south of Rimac.

300526 – spoonbill and avocet on Paradise Lagoon early morning, and a cuckoo calling inland. Female cuckoo calling Mablethorpe North End. Moths – hummingbird hawk-moth Churchill Lane. 2 common lizard in garden bordering dunes near Churchill Lane.

310526 – glossy ibis flew north over Sea View with 3 little egrets late evening. 2 grasshopper warblers reeling along the saltmarsh edge between Rimac south and MOD. Cuckoo calling in dunes south of Rimac. 4 red kite flew south late morning plus a trickle of swifts and swallows. Hobby flew south along Mablethorpe beach in the evening. Butterflies – 2 red admiral and a painted lady flew in-off the sea at Mablethorpe.

010626 – adult male golden oriole singing briefly in the dunes south of Crook Bank in the morning then flew south towards outer dune areas and not seen again. Glossy ibis mobile around Rimac, landing briefly on Rimac car park scrape. Cuckoo calling Paradise Wood and probably the same bird at Sea View late morning.

020626 – pectoral sandpiper on Rimac car park scrape, joined by a Temminck’s stint late morning just before rain started. Glossy ibis flew low over Sea View Washlands then gained height and flew south-west inland. 4 avocet on Paradise Lagoon. 5 sandwich tern, common/Arctic tern, fulmar, 4 common scoter, whimbrel and greenshank moving over the sea from Mablethorpe early morning, plus a first-summer Caspian gull and first-summer Mediterranean gull lingering around the beach. Sea milkwort flowering on the edge of the saltmarsh and viper’s bugloss in flower on the dunes. Bee orchids beginning to flower in some areas of the dunes.

02/06/2026

CELEBRATING OUR VOLUNTEERS – Volunteers Week in the UK
Mon 1st June -Sun 7th June

We are proud to mention our wonderful volunteering team at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes (part of Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve).

Our heartfelt thank you for their time, energy, enthusiasm and care our volunteers generously give. Their help and assistance make a real and lasting difference, and we are incredibly grateful for their support.

Whether through small or big efforts, their contribution does not go unnoticed. Our volunteer’s kindness, compassion, positivity and humour go a long way.

Thank you for becoming a volunteer and being a part of our community.

We look forward to seeing our volunteers again over a cup of tea, coffee and some lovely treats 😊

With great appreciation
Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes Reserve Team
(part of Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve)

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Natural England, click on the link
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/volunteering-with-natural-england-how-to-get-involved or e-mail:
[email protected] to find out more about volunteering at our beautiful reserve.

We look forward to welcoming you.

31/05/2026

Hairy dragonflies are one of the stand-out species of late spring, and in recent years they’ve been quietly expanding their range northwards in the UK. Once largely a southern species, they’re now being seen more regularly further north, reflecting wider changes shown by many dragonfly species.

They tend to appear early in the season, often patrolling ponds and ditches in sheltered, well-vegetated areas, where their steady, deliberate flight makes them quite conspicuous.

Despite their size, they’re fairly distinctive on a closer look, with a dark body marked by bright green and yellow, and a noticeably “hairy” thorax that gives the species its name. Males can look particularly chunky in flight, with a slightly clubbed abdomen tip, helping to separate them from other similar dragonflies at this time of year.

Photo - Hairy dragonflies, by Sally Johnson.

30/05/2026

Many of us enjoy feeding birds with the intention of providing a plentiful food supply. As you may have seen, current guidance encourages a more seasonal approach.

During summer and early autumn, there is plenty of natural food available for birds to feed themselves and raise their young. By attracting birds to gather closely around garden feeders, the risk of disease increases. Because of this, the advice is to pause seed and peanut feeding from May to October, and restart in winter when birds benefit most. Mealworms and fat or suet can still be provided in small amounts year-round.

If you do put food out, keeping feeders clean and moving them regularly will help birds stay healthy.

More information can be found on the BTO and RSPB websites:
Feeding garden birds | BTO

We all want to help birds and make our gardens or outdoor spaces a place where all wildlife can thrive. But some species, such as Greenfinches, are experiencing serious declines because of disease.

30/05/2026

Lapwing chicks are now being seen around the remaining freshwater scrapes locally, a sure sign of a successful start to the breeding season. As ground-nesting birds, lapwings are particularly vulnerable to predation, especially while nesting, but their chicks have a head start - being precocial, they are mobile and feeding themselves almost as soon as they hatch.

In recent years, areas of washland created by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have begun to link up well with Natural England land at Elm House Farm, creating a larger and more connected landscape for breeding waders. It’s encouraging to see numbers increasing locally, showing the value of these joined-up habitats.

Photos - Owen Beaumont.

29/05/2026

Butterflies continue to be seen in good numbers across the dunes, with site specialities such as Wall and Green Hairstreak now joined by increasing numbers of other grassland species, including Small Heath, Large Skipper, Brown Argus and Common Blue. Following favourable winds over the last week, we’ve also seen an arrival of migrants, with Painted Lady and Red Admiral making more regular appearances.

The dry weather is starting to have an impact on dune vegetation on higher ground, but there is still a good number of flowering plants coming through at present.

Photos:
1) Small Heath, by Sally Johnson.
2) Large Skipper, by Zoe Shreeve.
3) Brown Argus, by Sally Johnson.
4) Common Blue, by Sally Johnson.
5) Common Blue, by Zoe Shreeve.