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| a fragrant path fringed with Meadowsweet |
These Wednesday visits are becoming a regular thing ! But it's purely coincidence, depending on the weather forecast and other commitments. On arrival at 9 o'clock I could hear Woodpigeons and a Willow Warbler but didn't manage to spot a single bird between the entrance and the bird hide! Where were they all? Eventually they began to appear and I had some interesting sightings, especially once the sun came out. The sun brings out the insects and the insects bring out the birds, I think! Here is my report:
Birds:
SC209694 ( hide) Woodpigeon; Wren; 2 x Blackbird flying away.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) Blackbird taking Rowan berries; female Chaffinch; female Blackcap; Chiffchaff heard not seen; Wren heard not seen; Goldfinch.
SC208694 Goldfinch; Robin; male & female Chaffinch; Goldcrest preening in Birch ; Goldcrest in Willow later - possibly the same one? Woodpigeon; 2 x Willow Warbler; 9x Swallows overhead.
SC208695 Blackbird flying across.
SC209695 Blackbird.
SC209693 Wren.
Butterflies:
SC210694 Wall Brown.
SC209694 Small Tortoiseshell; Common Blue; Wall Brown; Meadow Brown x 2; Large White; Speckled Wood x 6; Green Veined White x 3.
SC208694 Green Veined White; Red Admiral; Meadow Brown; Speckled Wood x 5; Wall Brown; Common Blue.
SC209695 Speckled Wood x 5.
SC208695 Speckled Wood .
SC209693 Green Veined White; Speckled Wood x 2; Meadow Brown.
Other:
SC210694 Tiny bugs in thistle seed head.
SC209693 Parasitic wasp.
SC209694 green looper caterpillar on Sycamore leaf.
SC209694 Common Darter over main pond.
SC209694 2 x Common Darter at Dragonfly pond.
SC209694 Blue-tailed Damselfly.
SC209694 "Batman" Hoverfly -Myathropa florea, and other occasional Hoverflies throughout reserve.
SC208694 two types of fungi including possible Pleated Inkcap
SC209694 Inkcap fungi in path
SC208694 a nest box had fallen from the tree. Fortunately there was no birds' nest with eggs or fledglings inside but a Wasp had started to make a nest. It would have been unable to enter once fallen as the hole was covered.
SC210694 mating pair of Field Grasshoppers
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| Woodpigeon |
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| juvenile Goldfinch |
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| Goldcrest |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| female Blackcap |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| eye contact! |
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| another Speckled Wood warming up on the bridge |
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| this one was doing the same on the wood chip |
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| Red Admiral feeding on Hemp Agrimony nectar |
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| opening its wings from time to time |
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| Meadow Brown in the meadow |
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| I hadn't spotted the caterpillar near this one when I took the photo! |
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| Green Veined White showing the green veins |
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| and the upper wings of a Green Veined White |
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| Common Blue, also in the meadow |
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| on Purple Loosestrife |
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| Common Blue, taken from the hide |
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| a Looper Caterpillar hiding under a Sycamore leaf |
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| I'd turned the leaf over to see what had made the large hole! |
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| Common Darter Dragonfly |
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
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| another view of the same one |
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| Hoverfly |
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| "The Batman" Hoverfly |
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| a parasitic Wasp |
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| possibly a Nephrotoma flavipalpis Cranefly |
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| fallen nest box had beginning of a wasp nest inside |
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| tiny bugs in spear thistle flower |
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| mating Field Grasshoppers |
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| unidentified fungi |
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| Pleated Inkcap? |
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| another Inkcap now going over |
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| I moved from the usual spot in order to photograph the hide |
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| it's barely visible from where I usually take the photo |
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| the ramp photo always gives a good indication of what the weather was like |
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| view through the hide shutters |
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| the meadow still looks pretty |
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| Sneezewort having its moment |
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| there are several large patches |
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| looking back along the meadow path towards the bird hide |
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| and towards the boardwalk |
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| usual photo of the boardwalk |
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| and view from the boardwalk as usual |
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| a green corner of the reserve |
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| everything growing very fast at this time of year |
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| giving a jungly feel in places |
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| usual shot through the shady willows |
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| and a quick glance at the glade as I head home for lunch |
My last visit of the month but I'm looking forward to August.
please click on photos to enlarge them
