 |
| view from near the Bowman bench |
Because of other commitments Thursday morning was my first recording visit to the reserve for over two weeks. It's always interesting to see how things have changed after an absence. As well as the new tool shed, first noticed on Saturday during the Invert Group meeting, there were now non-slip strips on every plank of the boardwalk, so someone has been very busy recently! Also the paths and open areas looked freshly mown, but unfortunately the effect of this was rather spoilt by two dead long-tails lying on them - one by the hide which had no injuries and the other near the path junction which did and which was providing a meal for many flies. These R-A-T-S appeared to be youngsters and whether these had been killed by a cat or other predator, I really could not say. I removed them from the paths into the undergrowth and resumed some more pleasant recording. Here is what I saw:
Birds:
SC208694 Buzzard overhead receiving unwanted attention from another Corvid;
SC208694 2 x Goldfinch
SC208694 2 x Woodpigeon flying over
SC208694 Robin heard not seen
SC208694 Wren
SC208694 Raven flying over croaking
SC208694 Blackbird
SC208694 Chaffinch, female.
SC208695 Song Thrush
SC209695 Goldfinch x 2 taking birch seeds
SC209694 2 x Blackbird
SC209694 Chaffinch, female
SC209694 Buzzard mobbed by corvid
SC209694 ( hide) female Mallard; 2 x Goldfinch
SC210694 Buzzard over reserve and land opposite
SC208694 While standing near the compost heaps I thought I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the fir trees on the adjacent land. The Merlin birdsong app also gave it as a Great Spotted Woodpecker. I could not see it however and although I waited patiently for some time it didn't fly into the reserve.
Butterflies & Moths:
SC210694 Speckled Wood x 2 in ivy on boundary wall
SC210694 Holly Blue ( very faded) in ivy on boundary wall
SC209693 Speckled Wood x 6
SC209694 Speckled Wood x 2 near the hide and 1 unidentified white flying
SC209694 2 x Speckled Wood along gorse boundary path and another near Ginnie's bench
SC209694 4 x Speckled Wood along direct path to hide
SC209694 Speckled Wood near dragonfly pond
SC209694 Green Veined White
SC208694 Common Blue
SC208694 Moth - Udea lutealis?
SC208694 2 x Speckled Wood near boardwalk, + 2 others elsewhere
SC208695 Speckled Wood
SC209695 3 x Speckled Wood together in dispute
SC209695 unidentified Grass Moth
SC209694 Silver Y moth
SC209694 Common Blue near dragonfly pond
Other:
SC210694 Crust fungus growing on woodchip pile near gate ( Brittle Cinder?)
SC210694 7 x Field Grasshoppers in grass and on burdock leaves
SC209693 unidentified wasp or sawfly
SC209693 unidentified Hoverfly
SC209694 Craneflies here and throughout reserve
SC209694 unidentified fungus on direct path to hide
SC208694 Common Wasp
Sc209694 Common Wasp
Sc208694 Marmalade Hoverfly
SC208695 unidentified fungus ( looks like my attempts at Yorkshire pudding!)
SC209694 Inkcap toadstool
SC209694 tiny spider in brambles
SC210694 small Nursery Web Spider in nettles
SC209694 3 Carder bees in Woundwort
SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug on Aspen leaf
SC209694 ( dragonfly pond) numerous Diving Beetles; several pond skaters; Common Darter Dragonfly; Blue-tailed damselfly.
SC2090694 Unidentified blue Hawker Dragonfly over mini meadow.
SC209695 several unidentified Hoverflies/ flies on Cushag ( Ragwort)
SC208694 Unidentified flies and Hoverfly on Sneezewort
SC209695 7-spot Ladybird
SC209694 young acorns forming on Oaks
SC209694 2 x dead young Longtails on the paths.
 |
| Goldfinch eating birch seeds |
 |
| young Goldfinch |
 |
| composite photo of Buzzard |
 |
| later, this Buzzard was mobbed by a corvid |
 |
| this Buzzard flew out from the Reserve and across the field opposite |
 |
| female Mallard |
 |
| a very faded Holly Blue |
 |
| Common Blue |
 |
| 2 of 3 Speckled Woods close together in the brambles |
 |
| the third was feasting on the fruit |
 |
| Speckled Woods have had a good year and seem to be everywhere |
 |
| some are a little ragged by the end of the season |
 |
| just a small selection of the many photos of them that I took |
 |
| this may be an Udea lutealis moth - to be confirmed |
 |
| Grass Moth |
 |
| one of 7 Field Grasshoppers near the gate |
 |
| they were sunbathing on the Burdock leaves |
 |
| SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug not on gorse for a change! |
 |
| Carder Bee pollinating the Blackberries |
 |
| and enjoying the free nectar bar |
 |
| Crane Fly |
 |
| a selection of the flies on the Cushag ( Ragwort) |
 |
| another Hoverfly elsewhere |
 |
| Sneezewort int he meadow was attracting insects too |
 |
| unidentified |
 |
| Sawfly or wasp? |
 |
| a young Nursery Web Spider |
 |
| and a different species elsewhere |
 |
| 7-spot Ladybird |
 |
| possibly Brittle Cinder Crust fungus |
 |
| it starts pale and gradually turns black |
 |
| various toadstools along the paths |
 |
| a tiny red one |
 |
| this one reminded me of Yorkshire Pudding- |
 |
| Inkcap fungus |
 |
| the new pond |
 |
| seen from the other side |
.jpg) |
| several diving beetles |
.jpg)
 |
| can you spot the Darter Dragonfly? |
 |
| it was very camouflaged on the dead dock leaves |
 |
| acorns starting to form |
 |
| usual view of the hide |
 |
| but a smart new tool shed now adorns the front |
 |
| view from the ramp |
 |
| the board walk now complete with non slip strips |
 |
| view from boardwalk |
 |
| late summer pond |
 |
| the damp meadow |
 |
| view back along the gorse boundary |
 |
| looking back to the hide across the damp meadow |
Always good to be back!
please click on photos to enlarge them
