Black-necked grebe is spotted at nature reserve

A rare breeding bird has been spotted at a Staffordshire nature reserve during a bumper week in which a host of new species have been seen at the site.

The black-necked grebe has been discovered at the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Doxey Marshes, Stafford, which is a designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for nationally significant populations of several wetland bird species.

And in the last week staff and volunteers on the reserve have added an extra nine species to the tally.

The sighting of the rare bird was the first followed by eight moths, two of which have only been recorded in the county once before – Calamotropha paludella and Platyptilia isodactylus.

The latter is native to central Europe, Mediterranean North Africa and southern Europe, while it has also been recorded in China. Its wingspan is about 19-29 mm. The

Calamotropha paludella is a species of moth found in Europe, Africa, Australia and large parts of Asia. It flies from June to August depending on the location.

Wildlife experts who sighted the grebe – a freshwater diving bird – say it is a species which visits the sea when migrating as well as during the winter.

Doxey Marshes warden, Scott Petrek said: "It has been an amazing week on Doxey Marshes. The Black-necked grebe is a scarce visitor to Staffordshire and so a rare treat for nature lovers, and the moths were discovered by volunteers at our recent bat and moth night on the reserve." The news of the Black-necked grebe sighting first broke on the Trust's Twitter and Facebook pages.