Wildlife sightings for 18th June 2018
2 Mediterranean Gull adult - main lake long shingle island
1 Kestrel - reservoir lagoon bank
3 Common Tern - reservoir lagoon, reedbed
1 Snipe - main lake
2 Swallow - over NE
3 Chiffchaff - sheltered lagoon, wildside
May/June bird highlights: Temminck’s Stint, Jack Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Kittiwake, Common Tern, Peregrine, Red Kite, Buzzard, Hobby, Redstart, Nightingale, Yellow Wagtail, Little Egret, Wheatear, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Savi’s Warbler.
June bird highlights: Common Terns have returned and are looking for a nesting site. Several pairs of Lapwing are nesting on the marsh and scrape. There have been at least 4 Lapwing broods raised to fledglings so far. The reedbeds are full of singing Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler and Reed Warbler. Look for breeding and passage warblers like Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap in the woodland and scrub areas. Some migrant waders like Ringed Plover are still dropping in at the start of June.
Flowering plants: (end May-June) Ragged Robin, Marsh Marigold, Cuckoo-flower, Lesser Celandine, Bulbous Buttercup, Thale Cress, Hairy Bittercress, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill, Common Field Speedwell, Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Sweet Violet, White and Red Dead-nettle, Dandelion, Groundsel, Colt’s-foot, Butterbur, Field Wood-rush, Annual Meadow-grass, Bee Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Yellow Iris, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Common Vetch, Tare, Hop Trefoil, Tufted Vetch, Common Vetch, Yellow Loosestrife, Purple Loosestrife, Forget-me-not, Monkey Flower.
Amphibians: Marsh Frogs calling most sunny days in May/June – entrance lake, wildside and south route ponds and pools.
Butterflies/Moths: Red Admiral, Small Tortoishell, Peacock, Brimstone, Comma, Large White, Small White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Chocolate Tip, Yellow-barred Long-horn, Lime Hawk-moth, Hebrew Character, March Moth, Oak Beauty, Burnet Companion.
Dragonflies: Emperor Dragonfly, Hairy Dargonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, Norfolk Hawker, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Red-eyed Damselfly.
Other insects: Bee-fly, European Orchard Bee (Seen mating April 5th. First record for UK), Early Mining Bee, Clark’s Mining Bee, Red-tailed Bumblebee, Hairy Dragonfly, Hawthorn Mining Bee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee.
Reptiles: 94 Slow Worms (40 juveniles, 34 females, 15 males) recorded on the latest reptile transect.
