Batty Sounds: Daubenton's?

Our esteemed chairman Steve recorded some bat sounds a few months back. His analysis suggests that the sound in question is a Daubenton's bat (on which, more information here). The sound he recorded is available as an MP3 file here so have a listen. Of course the sound would ordinarily be too high pitched for human ears but the special bat detector brings it within our audible range.

sightings May

May Bank Holiday

Sheila tells me this is the first (only?) Gadwall seen at the reserve for 18 years! This is a male, which unfortunately flew off shortly afterwards.

There were five Moorhen chicks out and about. They look pretty ugly if you ask me - little balls of black fuzz with a bald head and stubby bald winglets.

This Magpie was admiring his reflection in the new pond.

And finally a snail - Arianta arbustorum if my 'looking things up on the web' skills are not mistaken!

Board Bluebells Chicks

The sightings board is revealing lots of Spring activity

Lots of bluebells and whitebells (ok, I made it up) in the shady place

moorhen chicks - (actually you don't seem to pronounce it correctly - I pronounce it 'myrrhhen)' . The mother was discretely furtive with them, generally managing just to obscure them from my view (hence bad photo)

Greenery

Pond digging

Work started at today's working party on the new pond on site and it seems that quite a bit of the local wildlife has already moved in. Several newts were spotted in the new pond, in addition to the pond skater seen on the surface. As we were digging and using the soil to level footpaths and fill in other holes this small frog was also found in the grass.

I know they say that nature will often be quick to colonise new ponds, but I didn't think it would be this quick!

Outside sightings board