30/10/26 - Humberhead Peatlands return visit

Earlier in the year in spring, some of our LDV NNR volunteers travelled away from the Lower Derwent Valley towards Doncaster, where they joined up with staff from the ‘Life’ project at Humberhead Peatlands NNR at Thorne Moors. 

Over the course of just one day, the team planted over 7,000 Cotton Grass plugs on areas of bare peat as part of the first stage of peatland restoration, where Cotton Grass is used to plug bare, wet, or previously drained peatlands. The plugs were planted in a diamond-shaped pattern, with the plan being for Sphagnum plugs to be planted in the centre of the area later in the year, and for the Cotton Grass to then shelter the Sphagnum. 

Since the initial task back in April the months have flown by, and at the beginning of October it was time for our team to return to help plant the Sphagnum plugs amongst the Cotton Grass. Over 400 plus were planted, which will help the peatlands to recover – encouraging the return of bog-forming vegetation, and in doing so turning carbon-emitting bare peat back into a carbon-capturing sink and in storing more water, and generally in helping in the second phase of peatland restoration, after water tables have been raised by blocking drainage ditches and grips. 

Many thanks to our fantastic team of volunteers for making such a difference, to not only our own NNRs, but also those in the wider area.

26/10/26 - Jay dispersal

Now is the time of year when it’s a bit easier to see one of the most colourful members of the Corvid family – the Jay, as individuals move between woodlands in search of feeding opportunities, particularly acorns. 

It’s always a delight to see one of these beautiful birds, and we’re pleased to say it’s been a particularly good autumn so far for records, with many individuals reported throughout the reserve over the last few weeks, including up to 20 in the Bank Island/Wheldrake Ings area with smaller numbers elsewhere. At Bank Island and around the pool at Wheldrake Ings birds have been noted flying in from the car park lane and the woodlands around Thicket Priory, where they are busy collecting acorns, before looking for sites to cache them for the winter (hopefully not in areas which will be underwater in a few month’s time!).

Although Jays are present across the site throughout the year and breed in low densities in the area, Skipwith Common NNR represents something of a local stronghold, and now is a good time to look for them whilst they are easier to see as the leaves are falling. Winter flocks of tits and redpoll can also be seen roaming around Skipwith at this time of year, although often staying high in the treetops – listen out for the high pitched and rather nasally calls of these flocks, which may also have something else with them. Wintering warblers, such as Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps sometimes follow the flocks searching for food, with both species having been seen recently – as always please let us know of any records when visiting the NNRs, thank you. 

22/10/26 - Recent work on the NNR

It’s been another incredibly busy autumn managing the reserve (helped in part by the ongoing drier than normal conditions), which have allowed us to complete our ditching programme as well as improve some of the scrapes and breeding wader habitat for next spring. We’ve also been working with the local farmers to ensure suitable sward heights for our wintering birds when they return, and ensuring good meadow condition through second cuts and grazing. 

Our fantastic team of volunteers have also been hard at work managing scrub and tree works around the site, to maintain the open landscape and view lines from the hides and platforms, as well as removing the last of the fencing and scrub at North Duffield Carrs. Elsewhere on the reserve we have been managing scrub at Wheldrake Ings and Thornton Ellers, and continuing to improve our wildlife garden and ponds at Bank Island – with time also found to extract timber to log up and sell to raise vital funds to do even more conservation work around the site next year.

We simply couldn’t have got through so much of our work programme without our incredible volunteer group – the Grafters, who turn up each week (whatever the weather or task), and always with so much enthusiasm and good humour, so a huge thank you to our brilliant team for their efforts and for helping to make the reserve as good as it is. If you’re interested in nature conservation and would like to work alongside like-minded people, why not get in touch and join us on the reserve on one of our task days – contact Lucy.Murgatroyd@naturalengland.org.uk for more details. 

14/10/26 - Redwing arrival

Following two early forerunners on the 30th September, last week saw the first real arrival of up to 1,000 Redwing – fresh in from Scandinavia. We are likely to see further individuals appear over the coming days and weeks, helped by the easterly winds. 

Redwings are the first of our winter thrushes to appear, with their high-pitched calls heard overhead during the hours of darkness as they migrate westwards, whilst tired and hungry flocks can also be seen and heard chattering as they search hedgerows for berry-laden bushes on which they feed. As the weather turns colder and autumn progresses, the supply of fruit and berries can become depleted, often resulting in large numbers returning to the Ings to feed on the edge of the damp meadows – taking advantage of the high numbers of earthworms and other invertebrate prey. If you see or hear any large flocks in the area please do share your records with us by posting them below, thank you.

10/10/26 - Whooper Swan passage

The first herds of returning Whooper Swans (totalling 88 individuals) passed through the LDV on the way back from their Icelandic breeding grounds last week, and we expect others to follow over the coming days as more birds arrive and pass through the area on the way to the wintering areas in the Cambridgeshire Fens, before our resident wintering birds settle on the reserve later in the year as more birds depart Iceland. 

Around 40,000 Whooper Swans now winter in the UK with the majority being found in the northern half of the country, and large numbers are known to gather at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust centres such as Martin Mere, Caerlaverock and Welney. Numbers in the LDV usually build-up from mid-October and reach between 150-200 birds, with North Duffield Carrs and the fields by Bubwith Bridge being favoured areas. The trumpeting herds passing over the reserve are a truly welcome sight and sound of autumn, and all records are appreciated, so please do let us know if you see (or hear) any flocks passing over the area. 

Image courtesy of LDV birder Trevor Walton 📸