Here comes amazing autumn!

Well what wonderful weather we've been having here at Lackford as summer draws to a close. But fear not, because the hot summer haze has gone, it doesn't mean the wildlife has too. This is an interesting time of year with various creatures moving around to find suitable habitat to spend the coming winter months. As you may have seen from previous posts, ospreys have been seen flying over the reserve, the latest one was seen this week flying over Bess' hide.

Osprey over the reserve © Mick Odell

This weekend, despite the change in weather, we had hundreds of house martins and sand martins flying over the sailing lake, stocking up on insects ready for the long journey back to Africa. Wigeon have started to be seen from Bess' hide, one of the first signs of autumn. It's not just about birds either, here at Lackford for the second year running ivy bee has been recorded feeding off the ivy on the Church walk near the field feeders. This is the last of the solitary bees to emerge in the year and its emergence is timed with the flowering of the ivy, its main source of food. A new species to science, being first discovered in 1993 and found in the UK in 2001, its spread is being monitored across the UK and we're glad to have it here at Lackford.

Ivy bee on Church walk © Hawk Honey

We also look forward to seeing the arrival of our winter ducks such as goldeneye, pintail and the beautiful goosander. This is the time when our gulls starts roosting on the sailing lake too and we also get the odd rarity there as well. However, with anything up to 20,000 gulls coming in to roost during the winter months, seeking them out can be quite a rewarding task. However, watching the spectacle of these birds arriving every evening is also a sight to behold.

The smaller birds such as siskin, redpoll, redwing and fieldfare also visit Lackford and can often be seen in large flocks numbering over 150+ birds. Who knows, we may even be really lucky and get the odd waxwing too!

Then there is the fantastic fungi that is scattered around the reserve. Last year we have tha amazing looking earth star and chicken of the woods in Ash carr.

Earth star on the reserve.

And don't forget the wonderful autumnal colours that adorn Lackford this time of year as the chemicals within the leaves change to beautiful reds and golds. So fear not that summer has gone, winter is not far away and we have all the wonderful wildlife that it may bring with it to look forward too.

Autumnal colours around the sailing lake.

Opening times changes

We will be closing a little earlier on the 22nd September at 4pm, last food orders at 3.30pm. On the 28th September we will be opening a little later at 11am due to stocktaking. The reserve will be open as normal and these times only apply to the visitor centre. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Latest events

On Wednesday 21st September, published wildlife photographer Kevin Sawford will be giving a talk. The life of a Suffolk Photographer will start at 7:30pm and ends at 10pm. There is no need to book, just turn up at the centre.

There are still spaces available on Paul's monthly Bird identification and song walk, on Saturday 24th Septamber 11am - 1pm. Just click on the link to book your place at £4 per person.

For the children, we have Naturally Art where all the children always have a great time creating art inspired by nature.

There's been a new path laid around most of the kingfisher trail thanks to Tesco's Bags of Help, which raised £8,000 from the carrier bag tariff. The new path is more compacted for easier wheelchair access and replaces areas of the path that were quite difficult to negotiate in wetter conditions.

New path on the kingfisher trail.

Sightings

The kingfisher has been showing well across the whole of the reserve including the visitor centre and very few visitors leave the reserve without seeing one. As reported earlier wigeon are being spotted in ever increasing numbers. This is a strange time for ducks as they go through eclipse and even your basic mallard can look like something quite exotic. Black-tailed godwits have been spotted on the Slough this week along with green sandpiper, common sandpiper, snipe and greenshank.

Black-tailed godwit on the slough © Alan Theobald

Little grebe, great crested grebe and pochard have been seen from Fullers mill and Bess' hides and two snipe were seen from Paul's hide as well. Goldcrests have been seen in the bushes around the double-decker hide and treecreepers have been spotted along the path to Steggall's hide.  Whitethroat and tree sparrow have been seen around the visitor centre and tree sparrows have also been seen on the field feeders along Church walk.

Juvenile female kingfisher © Barry Woodhouse

Don't forget to report your sightings in the visitor centre before you leave, we want to know what you've seen whether it is common or not.

A new look!

Well, as many of you will know, the visitor centre has been closed for the last week as we have had a bit of a change and a refurb. We’ve changed the layout of the shop and the reception area and added some wonderful new technology to bring you even closer to the wildlife that goes on around the centre. We’ve got new large maps that show the reserve in greater detail too.

The old look of the visitor centre

Our new sightings, map and membership area

Big change to the reception area

We still have bird food for sale, but notice the new addition!

Yes the volunteers and reserves team have been hard at work painting, varnishing, making and creating a new look to the centre. One of the newest additions to the centre is the wildlife camera TV which was very generously donated to us by Hughes Electrical of Stowmarket. This allows our visitors to see the wildlife that goes on around the centre via some new cameras that have been set up.

We currently only have 3 cameras in position and these are a bird feeder cam placed on top of one of the feeder posts outside. 

Not a speed camera, but the new bird feeder cam.

The small mammal, or critter cam placed inside a box which is buried into a bank of earth near the pond and a nest box cam fitted to a brand new nest box made by Wildlife Gadgetman, Jason Alexander.

A Robin checks out what’s on offer as a Blackbird patiently awaits his turn in the background.

A Long-tailed tit grabs a snack

A mouse having a nibble on critter cam

As yet, we have nothing to show from the nest box, but with fingers firmly crossed, we hope to get some new tenants soon!

We were supposed to have some new tables and chairs in the centre, but unfortunately, they’ve been delayed by a couple of weeks. But we still have goodies in sale in the shop which has been re-sited in the centre.

Lots of wildlife goodies to buy.

So why not come on down and pay the new look visitor centre a visit for yourself, we still sell hot drinks and cakes and you might even get to spot a Marsh tit on the feeder cam or spot the mouse on the critter cam like our video shows

Marsh tit.

Sightings

Bullfinches continue to be spotted around the reserve along the Church Walk, car park and the Kingfisher trail by the Sailing lake. Whilst looking for Bullfinches along the path, look out for the Yellow-legged Gull on the sailing lake. Up at Bill’s Hide on the Slough, 8 Goldeneye have been reported with the males beginning to display.

New for this year we’ve had two separate sightings of a Merlin on the reserve, so one to keep an eye out for! Bittern is still showing at Jason’s pool and the right hand pool at Steggall’s, which was captured in these superb photos from Ian Goodall:

© Ian Goodall

© Ian Goodall

© Ian Goodall

Up, up and away!!!

Photographer John Lord came to the reserve last week and with a special licence was able to capture these superb images of Lackford and of Steggall’s hide using a drone.

The visitor centre, sailing lake and Slough at top © John Lord

Looking westwards at the new hide at Steggall’s © John Lord

Steggall’s from above © John Lord

Please note: These photos were taken under licence and permission needs to be gained before any drones can be operated on site.

That’s about it for this week, please pop in and see us and the changes we’ve made at the centre, we always look forward to seeing you.