The Easter bunny has been and gone and so has the delightful month that is April! With Spring in full swing, we have seen some of our favourite wildlife returning to Brockholes this month and we are thrilled about it!
April Sightings Blog 2023
Matt Swift
April has brought us some fantastic wildlife sightings at Brockholes!
Matt Swift
To kick start our sightings round up, the bluebells are back at Boilton wood! Sweeping across the floor of this amazing woodland these stunning flowers cover the ground creating a sea of blue as far as the eye can see, such an incredible sight! The bluebell spends most of the year as a bulb underground, emerging in Spring to soak up those first rays of sunlight that make it to the forest floor.
Leslie Price
This fantastic male Pied Flycatcher was spotted by Leslie Price at Nook Pool! Pied Flycatchers migrate here from West Africa to breed, perfectly timing their spring migration to be able to feed their young on emerging caterpillars. These small black and white birds are usually observed sitting patiently, waiting for a chance to fly out and catch their insect-prey.
Ken Hayes
Orange tips are back at Brockholes! A true sign of Spring these fantastic creatures are one of the first butterfly species to emerge as temperatures begin to climb. These beautiful specimens are a joy to observe fluttering around the reserve.
Dave Bennion
Also returning to Brockholes this month are the incredible Sand martins! These fantastic birds were spotted fly high in the sky by Dave Bennion. The sand martin is a common summer visitor to the UK and they are a sure sign that spring is here.
Andrew Bradley
From returning wildlife to new arrivals! Andrew Bradley spotted this mother Mallard swimming around with her ducklings, introducing them to the wonders of Brockholes! Did you know that male and female mallards were once considered to be different species as they look so different!
Craig Smith
Our last sighting is a fantastic one! We're super excited to announce that an osprey was sighted this month by Craig Smith, soaring high in the sky above The Ribble beside Brockholes! Ospreys are not strangers to fame and attention and hopefully we will get many more sightings of this marvellous bird over the coming months!