RABBIT ACTIVITY
As regular visitors will have noticed, rabbit activity is causing holes on the hard core tracks and whilst we try and in-fill them, please be aware that the tracks are more uneven than normal as a result of the rabbit diggings.
TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDER – MARSH LANE, HAMPTON IN ARDEN
Please note that with effect from 20th January 2021 Marsh Lane, Hampton in Arden will be gated just north of the railway bridge which accesses the Marsh Lane Nature Reserve car park, to the west of Siden Hill Wood. The gate is going to be locked overnight. Solihull Council have deemed this has become necessary due to frequent problems of anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and other forms of environmental crime at Bradnocks Marsh.
The closing/opening times will be as follows:
- 1st April – 30th September 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- 1st October – 31st March 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Link to West Midland Bird Ringing Group: https://www.westmidlandsringinggroup.co.uk/
WORK PARTY DATES 2026
Wednesday 15th July – 6.00pm
Wednesday 12th August – 6.00pm
Wednesday 9th September – 6.00pm
Saturday 3rd October – 2.00pm
Saturday 7th November – 2.00pm
Saturday 5th December – 2.00pm
MARSH LANE TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS
Starting from March/April 2026, and lasting about 9 months, there will be amended traffic arrangements on the A452/Kenilworth Road. These relate to the alterations that are taking place whereby the dual carriageway will rise over the forthcoming (God only knows when!) HS2 and a new junction with Marsh Lane is being formed. Use of the new section will commence shortly.
At that junction, a roundabout is due to be constructed and, in due course, Marsh Lane will be accessed off that roundabout. In the meantime, some lane closures will take place, but Marsh Lane and the Lorry Park will always be accessible. Signposting will hopefully mention the Nature Reserve but if not follow the signs for the Lorry Park.
NOTICE OF OVERNIGHT CLOSURES – A452 KENILWORTH ROAD (UPDATE ON ROAD CLOSURE DATES)
HS2/BBV are preparing to install a contraflow on the new southbound carriageway of the A452, and this will now start on Monday 6th July. The overnight closure has now been postponed to the first weekend in July with the new dates being from:
10.00pm on Friday 3rd July to 6.00am on Monday 6th July 2026
During the overnight closures work will be undertaken to complete road tie-ins to move traffic onto the realigned road and installing street lighting. A fully signposted diversion route will be in place. If the works are completed early, the road will be reopened when it is safe to do so.
27th June 2026
Sunny, hot with high intermittent cloud, fresh south-westerly.
The Lapwing brood of four was in fact still present around the Marsh area, after only three being visible on the 23rd, and although there were three Little Ringed Plovers, there was no immediate sign of the two nearly fledged juveniles. Six Oystercatchers were present, including the two fledged juveniles, but no sign of any Redshank today. A Kingfisher fed from the Reedbed perch, a Red Kite went over, as did three Swifts, and there was an impressive array of butterflies and dragonflies, including at least seven male Red-veined Darters, a Ruddy Darter and 20 Four-spotted Chasers. Butterflies included some of the first Gatekeepers of the year, with 20 Marbled Whites and four Painted Ladies.
26th June 2026
Hot.
A Green Sandpiper was feeding on the margins of Railway Hide, and was best viewed from Oak Hide this morning, and is the second of the autumn so far. In addition, there were four Little Egrets and the two adult Terns are still feeding the fledged juvenile.
25th June 2026
Hot.
Aside from four Little Ringed Plovers from River Hide, a Goldcrest along the path to River Hide itself, and a Sedge Warbler by Oak Hide, there were no other records.
24th June 2026
Hot and sunny.
A Garden Warbler in song along the Causeway was of note, as was a Lesser Whitethroat in the Car Park. A Nuthatch in the Back Gate Copse is a sign of birds in that area, but they are surprisingly rarely seen. The Lapwing brood was seemingly down to three in front of Oak Hide this morning.
23rd June 2026
Sunny, light southerly, increasingly hot.
A new brood of four Lapwing chicks had hatched out in the Marsh with the sitting female having been observable in thicker vegetation close to the hide. In addition, there were eight Little Ringed Plovers (four adults, two fledged juveniles from off site and the two well-grown chicks), three Common Terns with the fledged juvenile very much now flying around, nine Teal, six Little Egrets, four Herons, eight Moorhens and a few over-flying Ravens.
Three Red-veined Darters on Car Park Pool, included a pair in tandem.
22nd June 2026
Sunny spells, light southerly.
A Humming-bird Hawk-moth was seen by Car Park Hide with a Scarlet Tiger at Oak Hide.
Two Painted Ladies, an impressive 49 Marbled Whites, two Red Admirals, three Commas, three Red-veined Darters and 17 Emperors added to the insect tally.
Wildfowl included five Shoveler, nine Teal, 77 Mallard, 17 fledged Canadas and 49 fledged Greylags.
On Railway Pool there were three adult and two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers from off site, plus two well-grown chicks still.
21st June 2026
Initially overcast, but warm and still, high cloud and sun breaking through by 10.30.
The islands on both pools are ablaze with flowers at the moment, which are mostly a combination of various different Mayweeds and Ox Eye Daisies.
In front of Railway Hide, and in patches by the bench near to the Back Gate, are patches of Self Heal with scattered pink Common Centaury, and Smooth Hawk’s-beard. Also by the bench at the Back Gate was a bright patch of red Scarlet Pimpernel.
Bird-wise there was not a great deal out of the ordinary, although a Garden Warbler was in good song by the Car Park, a Treecreeper was present in the Back Gate Copse and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were present around the Car Park, with a separate Great Spotted in the Back Gate area.
Visible from River Hide, lying in the grass to the left, a Roe Doe was alert but content, constantly flicking its ears to dissuade the insects.
Plenty of butterflies included at least 10 Marbled Whites, two Commas and a Painted Lady.
Common Centaury – Photograph by Nick Barlow
20th June 2026
Sunny spells, light south-westerly.
Thanks to Graham and Dave for the full counts as follows: six Mute Swans and still two broods of four on Car Park and three on Railway, 11 adult Canadas with 15 goslings, the two Canada/Greylag goslings, 20 Greylags and eight goslings, six Teal, 20 Gadwall, but still only two broods and no Tufted broods as yet, 52 Mallard and five broods, 21 Tufteds, 10 Cormorants, four adult Little Grebes and an apparently fledged juvenile on Railway Pool, five Herons, two Egrets, six Little Egrets, six Moorhen, 41 Coot, five Oystercatchers, 11 Lapwing, including the black-ringed BR30, four adult Little Ringed Plovers, one juvenile from off site and two chicks all on Railway Pool, the two adult and nearly fledged Common Tern chick on Car Park Pool, only 10 Black-headed Gulls, a single Kingfisher flying over from the Car Park to the Reedbed, two juvenile Green Woodpeckers around the Back Gate area, a juvenile Cetti’s in the North Causeway Bay and 16 Rook on the Flood Plain.
An extensive list of dragonflies and butterflies included two Red-veined Darters, three Ruddy Darters, 10 Common Darters, two Emperors, 15 Black-tailed Skimmers, eight Banded Demoiselles, 20 Blue-tailed, 10 Red-eyed, 10 Common Blue and 10 Azure Damselflies, 20 Marbled Whites, 26 Meadow Browns, 13 Ringlets, a large Skipper, three Small Skippers, one Comma, three Large Whites, a Speckled Wood and two Scarlet Tigers.
19th June 2026
Sunny periods, light south-westerly.
Again, the birds were similar to the last few days, but there was a noticeable increase in Marbled Whites with 19 today, along with 21 Meadow Browns, 20 Ringlets, five Small Skippers, three Painted Ladies, a Comma and two Red Admirals. Dragonflies extended to 14 Emperors, a male Red-veined Darter on Car Park Pool and a Ruddy Darter on the pond by the Car Park.
18th June 2026
Sunny periods, light south-westerly.
Similar birds to yesterday, but a Hobby was an additional sighting.
A Red-veined Darter was again visible from Car Park Hide on Car Park Pool, and there was at least one Painted Lady and five Marbled Whites.
17th June 2026
Overcast, light south-westerly.
The two growing Little Ringed Plover chicks on Railway Pool were visible again today, and the Common Tern chick on Car Park Pool is close to fledging. Black-headed Gulls, on the other hand, have had a catastrophic year with, at best, one young reared from Car Park Pool. Birds were sitting, but then none fledged, which suggests significant predation from a ground predator, such as a Fox. Other birds today were three male Shoveler, six Teal, three Redshank, seven Oystercatchers and four Little Grebes. The Cuckoo was heard again, this time around the Bradnocks Marsh area.
16th June 2026
Sunny spells, light north-westerly.
Six Teal, seven Oystercatchers, five Little Ringed Plovers and at least one chick on Railway Pool, one Redshank and a Common Tern, with one nearly fledged chick on Car Park Pool, were the main birds today. Four singing Cetti’s is probably one under the total, with birds today at River Hide, Oak Hide, along the Top Stream and by the railway arches. There is probably a fifth bird in the Reedbed area and there have been two singing birds, one by the Dragonfly Pond and one along the Top Stream, as they have been heard singing against each other.
Insects included seven Marbled Whites, two Ringlets, a Large and Small Skipper, one Brown Hawker, I think the first of the year, a Ruddy Darter at the Car Park pond, 10 Common Darters and seven Emperors.
In the evening six attended the work party, which concentrated mostly on mowing and strimming the paths and hedge cutting. Thanks to those who attended.
As a consequence of this, a Water Rail was heard calling in the south-east corner of the Reedbed at 07.30. A Cuckoo was also heard around the Back Gate Copse area with a Raven seen over Siden Hill Wood.
15th June 2026
Overcast with showers, brightening, light south-easterly.
There were eight adult Little Ringed Plovers, a fledged juvenile from off site, and two chicks on Railway Pool, and still one growing Common Tern chick on Car Park Pool. Two Red Kites flew over, and in the Orchid Field, there were 31 Southern Marsh and eight Common Spotted Orchids with more of the former along the edge of the Reedbed.
In the evening a Garden Warbler was singing in the east copse, just north of the cottages, and there were also at least two singing Willow Warblers, one in the Crop Oaks and one at the west end of the Causeway.
14th June 2026
Light north-westerly, mostly cloudy.
Raptors this morning included Sparrowhawk, Hobby and Buzzard and there was plenty of warbler activity with song or calling Sedge, Cetti’s Warblers, Blackcap and Whitethroat. A Green Woodpecker was also seen.
13th June 2026
Sunny spells, fresh north-westerly.
The first returning Green Sandpiper was heard flying over today, and there were good numbers of hirundines with at least 40 Sand Martins, eight Swallows and a Swift. A juvenile Blackcap was present along the Old Road.
Broods of Swans and Geese were broadly similar to the previous few days, but there was a second Gadwall brood with now 12 on Car Park and nine on Railway. There are still no Tufted broods however.
Along with eight adult Little Grebes, there was a well grown chick on Railway Pool, presumably home produced.
There was a dead Pygmy Shrew present by Oak Hide. Insects extended to one Red-veined Darter, five Common Darters, a Small Tortoiseshell, a single Red Admiral, 15 Meadow Browns and a Large Skipper.
12th June 2026
Overcast, fresh south-westerly, brightening up.
The first migrant juvenile Little Ringed Plover was present this morning, along with six adults. The juvenile was from elsewhere, but there were two home-produced chicks growing well and about 10 days old, visible from River Hide. There were still two Redshanks, but no sign of any chicks, five Oystercatchers, five Common Terns and a single chick, one Great-crested Grebe, and the first Common Darters of the year, seven on Dragonfly Pool.
Swollen-thighed Beetle – Photograph by Paul Casey
11th June 2026
Periods of heavy rain, mostly overcast, south-westerly.
There was not a great deal of change over from birds today, with similar quantities of waders and more common birds, and some Sand Martins were coming in from the local quarries to feed.
10th June 2026
Heavy showers, light northerly.
The only record was a Barn Owl calling over the Car Park at 01.06 this morning.
9th June 2026
Mostly overcast, cool westerly.
A Peregrine went over the Car Park Pool in the afternoon when a Cuckoo was also heard calling. There was a juvenile Pied Wagtail in the Marsh, and 21 Sand Martins were feeding over the North Causeway Bay in the blustery conditions. The Lapwing chick from the Railway Pool area appears to have fledged and the one on Car Park Pool is now well advanced.
8th June 2026
Overcast, rain, brightening, light south-westerly.
The male Cuckoo was back, calling away this morning, and Teal were on the increase with eight today. Six adults and a juvenile Oystercatcher were present, and the first juvenile Warblers were seen, with a Sedge Warbler by Oak Hide and a Whitethroat by River Hide.
Other juveniles included two Pied Wagtails at Patrick Farm. Rooks were congregating on the Flood Plain now that some young have fledged, and there were 15 there today. Other counts included two Redshank but no obvious sign of a chick, five Little Ringed Plovers, five Little Grebes, four Common Terns and a chick.
In the evening, Swifts and Martins were buzzing around, mostly over the Central Stream but also the Old Road and moving between the two, so counting was difficult, but there were at least 12 Swifts, 20 Sand Martins and eight House Martins.
Three Oystercatchers, two Stock Doves and a Fox were enjoying the evening light on the Crop Field.
7th June 2026
Showery, westerly, cool.
A Bittern was seen in flight over the Reedbed this morning, and there were four Redshanks and a single chick, eight Little Ringed Plovers and five adult Common Terns.
6th June 2026
Overcast, showers, fresh south easterly.
John Hunt has been using an audible recorder to pick up birds which has so far yielded a late Greenshank, but less welcome today, what appears to be a calling Marsh Frog from somewhere in Car Park Pool. This is an invasive species, so goodness knows how it has arrived, perhaps as spawn on a bird’s leg. They are larger and more dominant than the native frog and can introduce disease to that population.
After an absence of some weeks, a Ring-necked Parakeet was present today, seen along the Old Road.
Cetti’s Warblers have bred, with fledglings seen between Oak Hide and the South-West Pond. The full count today, care of Graham and Dave was six Mute Swans and three broods, 55 Canadas and three broods, the two Canada/Greylag hybrid goslings, 28 Greylags and six broods, 35 Gadwall and now two broods, 19 Mallard and six broods, seven Teal, 33 Tufteds, 11 Cormorants, two Great-crested Grebes, a Heron, a single Little Egret, three Moorhen, 28 Coot, five Oystercatchers, three Little Ringed Plovers, 25 Lapwing, five Redshank and one chick, three Common Terns but only one chick, 99 Black-headed Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Herring Gull, and an impressive 44 Stock Doves in the Crop Field where the crop is coming up well.
Insects of note included two Painted Ladies and a Broad-bodied Chaser, also along the Old Road.
Lapwing – Photograph by Bob Breach
5th June 2026
Sunny intervals, south-westerly with some showers.
It was pleasing to hear the male Cuckoo again this morning, again flying around the Central Stream and the Reedbed area.
A male Shoveler was new in, there were three Teal, seven Mallard broods, the Gadwall brood still of 10, the Kingfisher again on the Reedbed, still one Redshank chick with two adults, three Oystercatchers, seven Little Ringed Plovers, two Lapwing chicks, three Common Terms but only one chick, whilst butterflies included the first three Meadow Browns of the year, plus three male Common Blue, a Painted Lady, and a Red-veined Darter.
A Nuthatch was also recorded in Siden Hill Wood.
4th June 2026
Overcast, sunny intervals and showers.
A male Kingfisher on the Reedbed Pool this morning was probably benefitting from stiller conditions. Only two Tern chicks were visible, although the vegetation is growing up quickly.
Kingfisher – Photograph by Richard Clapham
3rd June 2026
Overcast, showers, fresh southerly.
The calling Cuckoo was back today, frequenting the Central Stream between 10.30 and 11.30, almost certainly eyeing up Reed Warblers. The Gadwall brood on Railway Pool seems to be down to 10, there are still four Mallard broods, and it was pleasing to note that one Lapwing chick has fledged.
In the showers, two Swifts, six House Martins, three Swallows and two Sand Martins were feeding over the Reserve, often frequenting the Central Stream.
2nd June 2026
Sunny spells, fresh south-westerly.
A calling Cuckoo flew circuits around the Reserve between 07.30 and 08.00 this morning, starting at the Central Stream, moving across Car Park Pool, north along the Old Road, over to Siden Hill and back to the Central Stream.
A Red-veined Darter was cruising Car Park Pool, despite the fresh wind, and there was a Fox sitting out on the Crop Field, where there was also a Mistle Thrush. Waders extended to seven Oystercatchers, two Lapwing broods of two single birds on Car Park Pool, four Redshanks and a single chick, and three Little Ringed Plovers. There are still three Common Tern chicks, and the first Gadwall brood of 11 ducklings was present on Railway Pool. The Mute Swan and Greylag broods seem pretty intact and there were still five broods of Mallard.
1st June 2026
Overcast, fresh southerly.
The male Cuckoo was hanging around the streamline again this morning, also commuting to Siden Hill Wood, and a Hummingbird Hawk Moth was seen around the Back Gate area. Additional insects on the 1st were a Painted Lady and a pair of Broad-bodied Chasers. Broods of youngsters were similar to yesterday.
A Tawny Owl was calling around the Car Park at 23.24 last night.
Other birds of note today included four Little Grebes with two chicks on Railway Pool, and two Bitterns in flight over the pools.