Major haul on Moth Morning
Nature notes with Reserve Manager Paul Stevens:
Raised Pond has burgundy flowers of spiked water milfoil breaking the water’s surface. The dusting of green powder on these wind pollinators is waiting for a breeze. Lots of damselflies on the pond and lots of damselflies casings on the bog bean plants. A tall blade of sedge has a large dragonfly nymph casing (looks like a southern hawker) still clinging to the stalk after a recent emergence.
Yesterday’s Moth Morning event was the best moth catch I have ever had - the largest haul and most species variety. It will take a while to log all the species we had but the hawkmoth numbers were standout: elephant hawkmoths, small elephant hawkmoths, poplar hawkmoths and eyed hawkmoths.
When I came in to set up the moth traps at 9.30 pm I saw 5-6 egrets roosting near the Ramsar hide in their usual spot.
It is a good year for damselflies with huge numbers onsite. Not as many dragonflies around currently because after they emerge they go to non-watery areas to mature before returning. The males then patrol territory, find females to mate with, then the females egg-lay on the water.
It seems to be a poor year for butterflies. Our survey last week only spotted three butterflies in our whole transect. Maybe they hot weathers accelerated their life cycles of some species. Plants are showing damage from dining habits of brimstone caterpillars.
It’s a good year for orchids, more than I have ever seen onsite before. Loads of marsh and common spotted in wet meadows opposite Ramsar hide. The bee orchid I found on the Wardens path was very tall with two plants together on the sunny pathway.
Bat survey last week we detected a bat at each of the 13 points we use on the ongoing survey. A first for Arundel. I picked up some Daubenton’s bats feeding over the water at our Reed Swamp exhibit, another first. We do see Daubenton’s on Arun Riverlife and Wetland Discovery regularly.
The wildflowers in the Butterfly Garden near the Holt have shot up. I looked for cocoons from the six-spot burnet caterpillars I saw munching on the bird’s foot trefoil here a few days ago.
Reptile survey last week recorded 12 grass snakes onsite including 3 females under one tin, a juvenile and one sub-adult under others. Seven of the snakes were pre-slough, sin peeling away around the eyes. Two had just shed and the skins were under the tins with them. We use large squares of metal sheeting (tins) in locations around the grounds that the snakes like crawl under.
The oystercatchers nesting on the Tundra Exhibit were not successful and moved on. A pair are still nesting on the gravel island to the right of the Sand Martin hide. Spotted a male pintail on the water between Ramsar and Sand Martin hides – it’s early for it to return from the north to winter with us. Maybe stayed local to breed or early return from failed breeding. The same goes for male teal we have spotted on site. There are plenty of black-headed gull chicks here and some are almost fully fledged.
In the Wildlife Garden tree bumble bees are nest in the back of the Bug Hotel – last year a nest of great tits nested there instead. Meadow’s Cranesbill is flowering here.
From the Scrape hide I see a family of tufted duck with eight ducklings. Swallows are nesting at the far end of the hide – please avoid that area as they are still on eggs.
Along the long path a family of young water voles have been spotted in the ditch. In the reedbed reed warblers are still singing, Cetti’s warblers are blasting here and all over the site. Bittersweet nightshade is flowers and going to seed and I spot some round burr reed.
Near the Dragonfly pond we are seeing pond weed and star wort growing. The area is recovering now that mallards and geese are spending less time here since we limited hand feeding onsite. The pondweed gives the sticklebacks a place to hide and when it reaches the surface the damselflies will lay eggs on it.
