Today was actually reasonably sunny so for the first time in far too long I went out for a run around the patch. The insect life was certainly appreciating the sunny conditions with plenty to see along the route. Along the canal by the Trap Grounds there were several Ringlets and Common Blue Damselflies. At the Trap Grounds themselves there was a male Emperor Dragonfly still patrolling the central pond area with more Common Blue and also Blue-tailed Damselflies around the edges. At the start of the board walk there were a couple of Souther Hawkers holding territory. On the bird front a Reed Warbler was singing away occasionally in the reeds themselves. I also found a Slow Worm on the path, the first I've seen there this year.
Southern Hawker - photographed through my bins with great difficulty
Slow Worm
On to Burgess Field where there were loads more butterflies: mostly Ringlets with one Marbled White, a few Small Skippers and Small Heaths and a couple of fresh Gatekeepers. There were also some Shaded Broad-bar moths out which I'd not seen before there though they are a common species.
Shaded Broad-bar
The floods themselves were pretty empty apart from the usual black-headed gulls and little egrets and ducks. With the weather forecast to improve next week we should get the floods receding enough for a bit of shoreline to re-appear and that should bring back the waders.
No comments:
Post a Comment