Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus)
Yellow iris grow extensively in the shallows of the loch and in the ditch on the approach to the reserve.
Grey Granite visited the Tower Hide at Strathbeg RSPB Reserve yesterday for the first time for some months and was rewarded by being able to spend almost 30 minutes watching a female marsh harrier at close quarters. Grey Granite had noticed, but was unable to identify, a large raptor hovering over the field on the approach to the hide. However, the magnificent bird, at close range unmistakably a marsh harrier, was languidly flying back and forth low over the reeds and marsh close to the hide. The bird was often lower than the hide window thus clearly displaying the characteristic light markings on the wings and pale yellowish head, with formidable curved beak, to great advantage. Occasionally the bird would drop down in to the reeds, presumably having found prey (usually small mammals, amphibians or small ducks). This was a real privilege to connect with nature experience and Grey Granite was furious with herself for not having brought a camera with a telephoto lens. The following link is to a clip male harrier at Minsmere in very similar conditions to those at Strathbeg.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Western_Marsh_Harrier#p007stgc
We were interested to note that two fields on the way to the Tower Pool Hide appear to have been sown with a small white plant, either a sand wort or pearlwort, presumably as feed for a particular bird. There were beautiful yellow iris growing extensively in the shallows of the loch and in a roadside ditch.
Nicola from Strathbeg provided the following information about the white plant.It is likely to be Corn Spurry (Spurgula arvensis). It is sown as part of a seed mix commercially available as "wild bird cover" - a diverse sacrificial crop designed to shed a variety of sizes of seed at different times to see the farmland birds through the winter. It also provides cover, and invertebrate habitat which is useful for feeding chicks. Ground nesting birds nest in it (sky larks, corn buntings...)
ReplyDeleteWe have mixed the commercially available seed mix with a tonne or so of arable weed seeds harvested from & donated by a neighbouring organic farm. This helps to further increase the diversity of plants, seeds and structure of the vegetation. It is likely that the abundance of Spurgula has come from this arable weed seed. It will be great at shedding masses of tiny seeds which will benefit the bird species with smaller bills.