Duck numbers increasing
Good numbers of Gadwall, Shoveler and Teal on site this morning along with a small additional arrival of Wigeon.
123 Gadwall - site count
90 Shoveler - site count
42 Teal - site count
7 Wigeon - sheltered lagoon
2 Common Sandpiper - reservoir lagoon
2 Snipe - main lake
1 Hobby - hunting over the grazing marsh and reservoir lagoon p.m
1 Kestrel - hunting over the wader scrape bank
20+ House Martin - flew low over the site heading South
1 Meadow Pipit - flew over heading South East
4 Chiffchaff - South route, sheltered lagoon, entrance area
August bird highlights: Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Peregrine, Kestrel, Hobby, Little Egret, Common Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Garganey, Wheatear, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail.
Migrant waders like Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit are dropping in daily on their way to wintering grounds. Wintering duck like Teal, Gadwall and Shoveler continue to arrive towards the end of August. The wader scrape and main lake are the best waterbodies to check for migrant waders. Other migrants on the move include Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Sand Martin, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Yellow Wagtail.
Flowering plants: (late August) Bird's-foot Trefoil, White Water-lily, Marsh Woundwort, Purple Loosestrife, Meadow Vetchling, Common Vetch, Self-heal, Hop Trefoil, Common Knapweed, Betony, Tufted Vetch, Figwort, Lady's Bedstraw, Great Burnet, Yellow Loosestrife.
Invertebrates: (late August) Honey Bee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, White-tailed Bumblebee, Comma, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small White, Large White, Red Admiral, Common Blue, Fairy-ring Longhorn Beetle, Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle, Black-striped Longhorn Beetle, Umbellifer Longhorn Beetle, Plum Longhorn Beetle, Stag Beetle, Common Zebra Spider, Wasp Spider, Lesser Emperor (see photo below), Brown Hawker, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfy, Black-tailed Skimmer, Willow Emerald, Long-winged Conehead.
Moths (July 17th and 24th moth trap results) - Vapourer, Yellow Shell, Brown-veined Wainscot, Black Arches, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Tree-lichen Beauty, Common Carpet, Single-dotted Wave, Common Footman, Burnished Brass, Copper Underwing, Rustic, Dusky Sallow, Chilo, Obscure Wainscot, Dark Sword-grass, Pebble Prominent, Rosy-striped Knot-horn, Scarce Footman, Silver Y, Webb's Wainscot, European Corn-borer, Rosy Footman, Least Carpet, Dark Umber, Dusky Thorn, Gold Spot, Jersey Tiger.
