Recent Sightings at Castle Espie, near Comber, Co. Down
14 July 2010Sightings around the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust reserve at Castle Espie, near Comber in Co. Down are plentiful at the moment - birds of note include breeding Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Spotted flycatcher (4 young recently fledged), Linnet (3 pairs bred and have amassed together in a 20-strong flock), Reed bunting (3 pairs breeding), Song Thrush (3 pairs breeding), Bullfinch (1 confirmed breeding but other pairs have been seen).
Other birds of note include Common tern (visit on occasion to fish, 1 pair showed interest in breeding during May but moved on), Ringed plover (3 young fledged and currently incubating their second clutch; this is the first time in ~20 years they have bred on site), Rock pipit (a new species for the area and confirmed breeding), breeding Sparrowhawks and Long-eared owls, and also several wader species using the site at present – about 90 Oystercatchers roosting in new saltmarsh area and 2 Common Sandpipers & 3 Greenshank also visiting (unusual for this time of year). Creches of up to 30 Eider ducklings can be seen from the Brent Hide at high tide, being escorted and taught to forage by several adult females.
Mammal sightings include Otter (bred earlier this year and have 3 cubs), Badger family in woodlands, Irish hare leveret grazing at the entrance gate (!) and a recent small mammal survey found Wood mouse to be very abundant. Bat species recorded this year include Common & Soprano Pipistrelles, Daubenton’s bat and Leisler’s bat. During a recent survey of Daubenton’s bat on site, a Long-eared owl made several attempts to catch one of the bats as it skimmed over the water!
A recent damselfly survey found 3 species on site – Common Blue, Blue-tailed and, previously unconfirmed for the site, Azure damselfly. Moth surveys are ongoing and from February 2010 there have been 89 species recorded using 1 trap and one location (mainly woodland). Butterflies of note include good numbers of Common Blue and several Small Coppers, as well as the more common species.