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| looking into the reserve from the private entrance. |
I was too busy on Monday morning to visit the reserve so missed the sunshine and, by all accounts, several sightings of a Whitethroat. It had clouded over by afternoon but I nevertheless had an interesting visit. I didn't see the Whitethroat but did see a Sedge Warbler and the highlight of the visit for me was an excellent and prolonged view of a Snipe from the hide. Here's the full report:
Birds:
SC210694 Goldfinch on overhanging wires
SC209694 (path junction) Willow Warbler; Robin; Blue Tit; Chaffinch heard.
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) male Blackbird; Chaffinch heard; Goldfinch; Blue Tit
SC209693 Swallow flying over; Willow Warbler heard; Sedge Warbler in reeds.
SC209694 ( hide) Woodpigeon on roof of hide; also seen later across the pond; Chiffchaff heard; 2 x Moorhen; Snipe; 4 x Mallard drakes; male Chaffinch; Pheasant heard; 2 x Long-tailed Tits; 2 x Goldfinch drinking from pond; Song Thrush heard; Wren; male Blackbird;
SC208694 Willow Warbler heard; Chaffinch male; Sedge Warbler heard from reeds;
SC209695 Chiffchaff; Blue Tit; Willow Warbler; female Chaffinch
SC208695 Willow Warbler
Ladybirds:
SC210694 22 x 7-spot ladybirds
Butterflies:
SC209693 Speckled Wood
Other:
SC210694 here and throughout reserve - Yellow Dung Fly
SC209694 Common Wasp
SC208694 Leucozona lucorum fly Fly; Unidentified moth ( possibly Clouded Silver?)
SC208694 Ground Ivy in flower New Record?
SC208694 2 x Pond Skater
SC209695 20 + Water Cricket
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just one of the many hazards facing nestlings this spring -
some danger comes from the ground, some from the sky. |
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one of 22 x 7-spot Ladybirds between the entrance and the
Noticeboard. |
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| and another |
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| This one was sharing a Dock leaf with a Yellow Dung Fly |
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| Yellow Dung Fly - lots of these on the reserve |
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eye contact !
Yellow Dung Fly |
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I think this is Leucozona lucorum - rather beautiful
( I call them Lucozade flies - easier to pronounce & remember!) |
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Clouded Silver moth
(my thanks to Ian Scott for confirming the ID)
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| Noon Fly |
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| Pond Skater in the stream |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| and another singing its heart out |
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| Woodpigeon on the roof seen from afar |
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| and another looking picturesque in the blossom |
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| very distant view of Blackbird on the church boundary |
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| Blue Tit |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Apple Blossom near the compost heap |
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| and near the gorse boundary |
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Most of the bluebells on the reserve are garden escape Spanish
variety or hybrids but this one looked more like a native |
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| anthers are right colour for a native |
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Jack-by-the-hedge might just tempt an Orange Tip butterfly
or Green Veined White |
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| Ground Ivy in flower |
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| Various stages of dandelion |
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| Cherry Blossom on Ginnie's memorial tree. |
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| Marsh Marigold and Cuckoo Flower growing together |
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| Rowan flowers starting to open |
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| Stream vanishing beneath the Hemlock Water Dropwort |
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| a colourful corner of the reserve |
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| Red Campion |
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| my first view of the Snipe in the Brooklime |
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| eventually it decided to move out of cover and started to feed |
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| what beautiful markings! |
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| then it retreated into the vegetation where it periodically dozed |
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it was very camouflaged from a distance
if I hadn't watched it move to here
I would probably have overlooked it |
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| four Mallard drakes out on the water |
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| with two Moorhens for company |
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| Moorhen |
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| male Moorhen taking nesting material back to the nest |
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| female glimpsed through the reeds |
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| Moorhen |
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| distant view of Sedge Warbler |
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| closer view |
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| damp meadow now growing fast |
I was watching the male Moorhen collecting nest material. It wasn't happy with the nearby Drakes and despite its smaller size warned them off when they drifted too near the nest site. It took the long ribbons of reed leaves to the nest, gave them over to the female who then arranged them as she wished. The male swam noticeably quicker when he had nest material to deliver. Here is a short video clip.
Do you believe in premonitions? Whilst watching the Moorhens I suddenly remembered the occasion when I saw the Snipe among the Brooklime and thought I should really take a quick look to check it out. I could see a brown patch among the green but thought it was dead stems and leaves. I looked at it through binoculars and somewhat to my amazement found it was indeed the Snipe! Here are a couple of short video clips of it.
Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them, click on them again to move through them.
Little square, bottom right makes videos full screen - press ESC when finished
