Bat walks and moth traps
Wed 20 May Bat walk was full - they usually so sell out so book now for the August and September walks 01903 881530. Soprano & common pipistrelles were flying right over our heads. We also picked up noctule bats on the detectors and watched Daubenton's feeding over the water.
I put the moth traps out on while I was in for the batwalk on Wednesday night. Claire Drew our Learning Manager and I checked the traps this morning.
We had 9 individual moths but four were hawk-moths, including the poplar and eyed hawk-moths in the picture. We also found trebles lines, heart and dart, shears and pale tussock moths to make 6 species in total.
Regular visitor Davide Barrett spotted a banded sexton beetle near the exit to the reedbed boardwalk on Wednesday and sent us in this nice closeup.
A firecrest was seen near the Woodland Loop feeders the yew trees. @thurrocknick1 on Twitter posted some great pics.
Regular visitor Romney Turner caught this pic of the sedge warbler that has been singing near the Wildlife Garden. Romney said the warbler was doing song flights, too. The trees made it hard to get a pic but many visitors are hearing his loud singing, if they can't always spot him in the leaves.
