Busy, busy, busy! The species of Tawd Valley have been as active as ever over the past month, and now that the main bulk of the breeding season has passed, we at FoTV can once again bring wildlife news to you.
First up – birds. Mallard ducks have had a productive breeding season, fledging five ducklings in the South end of the Valley, whilst a group of 10 ducklings was seen a few weeks ago. The standard tits and finches continue to be sighted, as well as a number of Jays near Summer Street. Raven, a scarcely recorded bird in the Valley, was heard last week. A pair of Spotted Flycatchers were also spotted briefly during a river survey – a fantastic record which means that both British Flycatchers – Spotted and Pied – have been recorded in the Valley this year. A Dipper was sighted briefly earlier in the month flying South along the river, and a Grey Heron is sighted occasionally from Manfield Allotments.
As for mammals, both Roe and Fallow Deer have been recorded in the Valley lately, as well as a rising number of Rabbits – both at the Amphitheatre and near the Half-mile Lake. Rat tracks have been found on the riverbank, and Grey Squirrels continue to be seen. Unfortunately, there is a new kid on the block – American Mink, a highly invasive, non-native species, has been seen within the Tawd Valley over the past few weeks, particularly near Summer Street. This black, semi-aquatic, ferret-like animal is a vicious predator which will hunt fish, birds and small mammals – and could spell disaster for the ecology of the River Tawd. Thankfully, we have never had this species take up long-term residence in the Valley before, so it is hoped that these animals will soon take their leave – however we ask that any sightings be reported to us to pass on to the appropriate recording bodies.
In the River, Brown Trout continue to be seen, as well as European Eels. Our Riverfly Surveys continue to yield promising results for the River Tawd, showing a stable level of water quality – species such as caddisflies and water hoglouse are a common sight. You might see Mayflies in small groups just above the water at dusk – watch these swarms, and you may see a Trout pop up for a meal!
Finally, we come to butterflies – Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Small Skipper have all been seen lately, mainly in the North end of the Valley. It is species like these which require access to wildflower meadows, a valuable habitat which FoTV has helped to create and manage in the Valley.
As always, please do let us know of any interesting sightings you have in the Valley – we’re always interested to know who and what lives in our area.
