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News, events and recent sightings from the #LowerDerwentValley, #SkipwithCommon and #ForgeValleyWoods National Nature Reserves

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Thank you to Susan Brench and #LDV volunteer David Salisbury for sharing their lovely foxglove photographs (taken recently at #SkipwithCommonNNR) in the birch woodland, which can be found on the Common adjacent to the heathland areas 🌿📸

There has also been a large arrival of Quail over the last couple of nights with 10 ‘new’ birds reported around the #LDV during the last 48 hours - bringing this years total to over 20, with another individual caught and ringed as part of our long-term study into the species @yorkbirding.bsky.social

100% of each sale goes straight to the Friends of the #LDV charity, or if you’d like to support their Corncrake fundraising campaign, books can be claimed as rewards – every penny counts with Aviva very generously matching each donation made 💰 communitiesfund.avivafoundation.org.uk/p/lower-derw...

Surveying grasslands in the heart of the Lower Derwent Valley - the largest expanse of traditionally-managed floodplain meadows remaining in the UK. Some superb fields with abundant Pepper Saxifrage, Narrow-leaved Water-dropwort and Great Burnet.

Two Lower Derwent Valley specialities from Sutton-upon-Derwent today: Marsh Stitchwort and Narrow-leaved Water-dropwort. Quail and Cuckoo singing in the meadows and several Hares.

Not-at-all-typical meadow flora on rising ground at the edge of the floodplain. Abundant Autumnal Hawkbit and Red Clover with mainly fine-leaved grasses. Few of the most characteristic hay meadow plants but herb-rich.

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Nice to also catch up with two Cattle Egrets at Wheldrake Ings after the heronry survey had taken place – thanks to @duncbye.bsky.social for joining and @ldvbirder.bsky.social for getting the news out on the Cattle Egrets.

Thank you to Yorkshire Water's @tophilllow.bsky.social team for supplying & delivering 11,500 reed plugs for use in the #LDV this week, which will help create & expand reedbeds throughout the reserve for a range of species - let us know if you'd like to join our volunteer team & help plant them! 😄

The second visit to the local heronry took place earlier this week as part of the @btobirds.bsky.social census, & after over 40 years of surveying this site, there are now almost as many Little Egrets (35 pairs) as Grey Herons (38 pairs) 🪺 @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Great to see our first review of the Birds of the #LDV in this month's Bird Watching magazine – much appreciated! If you haven’t purchased a copy yet but would still like to do so, please get in touch with us direct (via [email protected]) @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Palustris

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