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| in contrast to the stormy reeds video last time, weather still enough for reflections |
It was two weeks since my last visit to the Reserve and during that time the Island had a great deal of bad weather, at best very gloomy and at worst torrents of rain. So it was no surprise to see the Wetlands living up to its name with trees standing in water and large puddles on the paths. The main pond was brimful, with the feeder stream now running over the top of the mudflat. However, in defiance of the cloudy, overcast weather forecast given at 7 a.m. the sun came out for most of the morning! Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC209694 ( hide) Water Rail heard; Chiffchaff foraging in reeds and surrounding vegetation; male & female Blackbirds; Blue Tit; 4 x Chaffinch; Jackdaws heard not seen.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) Coal Tit; Robin; Wren; Blackbirds near path junction, near dragonfly pond and 3 taking apples from ground near stream inlet; Goldfinch; male & female Chaffinch; 2 x Blue Tit; Great Tit; Rook flying over; 2 x Woodpigeon flying over; female Pheasant.
SC208694 Robins under willows and near boardwalk; 4 x Chaffinch foraging on flooded ground under willows; Goldfinch; Wren; 2 x long-tailed Tit; female Blackbird.
SC208695 Blackbird, Dunnock; Song Thrush; 3 x Chaffinch; Great Tit; Robin.
Other:
SC209693 large gnat-like insect
SC209694 I watched several large insects fly over the main pond and suddenly drop into it. They did not re-emerge. Some sort of fly or gnats.
SC209694 a few Redlead Roundhead fungi have survived bad weather along path.
SC208695 the sturdy Pestle Puffball is still standing but other nearby fungi have either disappeared or are going mouldy; 1 small fresh toadstool, possibly a Pleated Inkcap.
SC208694 Woody Nightshade berries making a bright red splash of colour.
SC209694 unidentified earthworm on path - perhaps abandoned by a Blackbird as I approached?
SC209694 several tiny spiders in the nettles - juvenile Wolf Spiders?
SC209694 Snake millipede on bird poo on dragonfly pond bench + a couple of miniscule insects on leaf with it.
SC209694 solitary Dandelion in flower providing some late nectar for insects.
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| Robin near the board walk |
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| Robin in the old Beehive loop |
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| this flooded area was attracting Chaffinches to drink and forage |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| there were 4 of them altogether |
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| female Chaffinch, one of 4 in this tree |
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| Goldfinch feeding on berries |
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| this Dunnock spent a long time preening |
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| female /juvenile Blackbird |
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| I was lucky to see this Chiffchaff when I returned to the hide |
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| other photos show it to be ringed |
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| Snake millipede finding some nutrition! |
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| a closer look at the willow leaf shows insects |
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| they were very small - I don't know what they are |
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| a large gnat? |
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| possibly a juvenile Wolf spider |
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| juicy earthworm left on the path |
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| a fresh toadstool |
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| Redlead Roundheads looking a bit worse for wear |
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| mouldy fungus decaying into the leaf litter |
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| but the Pestle Puffball soldiers on |
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| solitary Dandelion |
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| this lichen caught my eye |
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| trees in standing water near the road |
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| the barrows not quite floating yet |
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| reedy bend looking a bit weather beaten |
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| standing water on the paths |
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| more puddles elsewhere |
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| near the path junction |
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| a willow standing in water |
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| puddles in the new glade |
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| usual view of the hide |
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| usual view from the hide ramp - still cloudy at first |
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| through the shutters |
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| looking the other way |
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| high water levels |
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| brimful, in fact |
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| feeder stream now flowing over the top of the mudflat |
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| fast flowing stream |
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| the new dam kept busy |
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| water pouring over the top of it |
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| water level about 6" below the bridge |
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| the original dam hard at work too |
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| view from the bridge |
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| the channel in front of the reed bed |
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| the reed bed somewhat bashed by the weather |
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| Rowan leaves clinging on among the willows |
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| looking towards the compost heaps |
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| and the other direction |
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| still some greenery |
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| usual view of the meadow |
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| which is now very wet |
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| looking back towards the hide |
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| usual view of the board walk |
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| looking along the stream from the board walk |
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| and where it enters the reeds |
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| looking back across the meadow |
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| usual view back along the boardwalk |
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| still cloudy, view from the boardwalk |
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| path towards the Bowman bench |
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| start of the old beehive loop |
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| a smart new gate for the private entrance |
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| then the sun finally came out! |
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| a rare sighting! I had a shadow again! |
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| suddenly the reserve was aglow! |
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| the Oaks are holding their leaves well |
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| water rushing through the pipe ( and alongside it) |
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| I think any bathing birds would be washed away today! |
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| fallen apples are attracting Blackbirds here |
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| the colourful gorse boundary |
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| again the Oaks are holding their colourful leaves |
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| looking the other way |
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| the dragonfly pond |
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| the oak tree reflected in the dragonfly pond |
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| another view of the pond, with bench |
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| clouding over again, so time to go home for lunch |
An enjoyable morning with some unexpected sunshine.
please click on photos to enlarge them
