Due to a number of our regular contributors having moved over to #BlueskySocial we have recently set up an account for the #LDV ( which will run alongside this one - please feel free to use either account to let us know of your sightings @YorkBirding

Not forgetting a bit of balsam control 🌿😄 Many thanks to all involved for another great few days 👏

Nice to welcome the @DefraNature DDTS & International Conservation teams to the #LDV recently, allowing us to showcase the work we do & how it fits into wider areas across the Defra family. Interesting discussions took place along with bird ringing & exploring the moth trap 🐦

Our fantastic team & corporate groups have been busy with the seasonal task of balsam ‘bashing’ recently, with previous years efforts already starting to show results (a huge reduction in the dominance of this invasive species) - allowing our native vegetation to recover 🌿

The warm weather during the last few days has really helped with hay making throughout the #LDV - it's been a rather slow and spread out hay cutting season so far, which is great news for our wildlife - giving species like Curlew, Quail and Corn Bunting an extra helping hand 🐦

We're delighted to say that work on our new building is progressing well with it really starting to take shape now – great to see the frame of the viewing tower/shelter put together this week - replacing the old viewing platform that has been used by many for the last 20 years!

It was nice to welcome the local ManTalk group from Wheldrake to the #LDV this week, to help us with various construction projects as well spending time sifting through some of the seed which will soon be going elsewhere to be used for habitat creation projects around the county.

Roesel's bush-cricket only appeared for the first time relatively recently in the #LDV (within the last few years), but the species is now widespread & common throughout the site & large numbers have been recorded by the team over the last few weeks whilst seed harvesting 🌿🦗

Our team have been busy seed harvesting in the MG4 hay meadows & other fen-type habitats recently to help create similar habitats elsewhere as part of #NatureRecovery, & this year the staggered hay cut has allowed us access more than usual to help fulfil all the requests 🌿

We're pleased to say that the good year for Grasshopper Warblers continues with several reeling birds apparently now on second broods @YorkBirding.

There has been another secondary influx of Quail in the #LDV over the last 10 days, with a total of 27 singing birds now recorded this season – most of the latest birds being located on surrounding arable and especially amongst barley @YorkBirding.

Great day last week welcoming staff from @DraxGroup to the #LDV to help out with balsam control on the reserve. Our targeted efforts over the last few years are really starting to have a marked impact now, helping to reduce coverage of this invasive species - many thanks to all.

Nice to also hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling away nearby during the last few days 🐦.

Fantastic to be working closely with @britcon_limited, the contractors of our new reserve build, who have now managed to fill up one of our new reedbed areas - looking forward to seeing how this develops over the next few years 🌱

We were pleased to be able to welcome staff from the @DefraNature finance team to the #LDV last week, giving them the opportunity to see what our delivery looks like on the ground and the outcomes of their work, with time also spent helping our team collect wildflower seed 🌿

Having finished the ragwort pulling ahead of the hay cut the team will now spend a few weeks focusing on balsam control (never-ending job), but after several years of hard work we are seeing a real difference, with some areas almost balsam-free & supporting native ground flora 🌿

Over the weekend our team made a start with seed harvesting ahead of the hay cuts to follow later this week. Seed harvesting is an important way to help recreate species-rich floodplain meadows elsewhere in the local area & is an important role for NNRs in wider #NatureRecovery.

Several singing Quail are still present around the #LDV this week and Grasshopper Warblers have been very vocal again – presumably the recent activity is suggestive of breeding and second broods @YorkBirding.

Pleasing to find two more colonies/patches of Sand Leek whilst working on the reserve last night – seems to be spreading and appearing in new locations every year! Look out for it next to the path on the left 100 m before you approach Tower Hide at Wheldrake Ings 🌿

The chicks ringed in the #LDV have been subsequently resighted on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, Seaforth Nature Reserve in Merseyside, in the breeding colony @RSPBAireValley and at the wintering grounds off the coast of Senegal by the team at @kartongbirdobs 🐦.

We're pleased to say that the Common Tern pair on our Wheldrake Ings raft have once again reared three chicks to fledging – bringing the total now reared to over 30 since the rafts were first installed by the Friends of the #LDV in 2017 @YorkBirding