A day for Cuckoos
Image - A Speckled Wood butterfly
A good day for Cuckoo on the Reserve, visible from Knott Hide and the Dragonfly Pond first thing this morning, a female was seen quite clearly. Later in the morning, another was sat in front of the Kingfisher Hide for a good 40 minutes. A couple were also seen flying across the Top new Piece from Zeiss hide in the afternoon too!
Tack Piece
This Morning we had 3 Great Egret, 52 Gadwall looking tatty from moulting, 3 male Shoveler as well as Shelduck, Tufted duck and Greylag too. From the Martin Smith Hide Reed Warblers were about as well as a lone juvenile Kingfisher and Lapwing.
Middle Point
The Male White-spotted Bluethroat was seen this morning, viewed from the Shepherd’s Hut.
South Lake
Out on South Lake, there were 70+ adult Avocet seen with 21 nests dotted around. Also visible were14 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Lapwing, 2 Pairs of Oystercatcher, 15 Gadwall, 3 Teal, a few Tufted Ducks, and a very busy Black-headed Gull colony on the islands.
Other Wildlife
There were quite a few Dragonflies and Damselflies on the wing such as an immature male Scarce chaser and a female Blue-tailed Damselfly rufescens form (with an orange-pink colouration to its head). Also spotted was a small Grass snake underneath one of our reptile tins. And a Speckled Wood Butterfly.
