Wildlife sightings for 1st August 2022
Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover on the main lake.
Birds:
2 Common Sandpiper - main lake
1 Green Sandpiper - main lake
1 Little Ringed Plover - main lake
1 Snipe - main lake from observatory
2 Garganey - main lake
2 Oystercatcher - main lake
2 Hobby - over the reserve
6 Common Tern + juvs - main lake, reedbed, sheltered lagoon
25+ Lapwing - main lake, marsh, reservoir lagoon
Breeding bird territories:- Reed Warbler (60+), Cetti's Warbler (18), Reed Bunting (6), Sedge Warbler (4), Chiffchaff (3), Blackcap (20), Song Thrush (4).
Flowering plants: Great Burnet, Salad Burnet, Agrimony, Bee Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Cut-leaved Crane's-bill, Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, Yellow Rattle, Bugle, Herb Robert, Bramble, Self-heal, Common Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Dog Rose, Elder, Common Mallow, Deptford Pink, Beaked Hawksbeard, Smooth Hawksbeard, Creeping Cinquefoil, Red Campion, White Water Lily, Flowering Rush, Arrowhead, Knapweed, Yellow Bartsia, Meadow-rue, Yellow Loosestrife, Square-stalked St John's Wort, Betony, Cat's Ear, Pond Sedges, Club-rushes, Bristly Ox-tongue, Hawkweed Ox-tongue, Rough Hawkbit, Water Mint. The grazing marsh banks currently have the best display of Bird's-foot Trefoil on the reserve. Head to Wildside for the 'tall herb fen meadow' communities which include the lovely frothy flowers of Meadowsweet and the purples/pinks of Marsh Woundwort, Purple Loosestrife, Southern Marsh Orchid and Willowherb.
Butterflies: Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Marbled White, Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper.
Dragonflies/Damselflies: Lesser Emperor, Southern Hawker, Broad-Bodied Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Emperor, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly, Common Darter, Willow Emerald Damselfly, Ruddy Darter.
Other insects: Alder Leaf Beetle, Willow Leaf Beetle, Poplar Leaf Beetle, Wasp Beetle, Yellow Longhorn Beetle, Thick-Legged Flower Beetle, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Ruby-Tailed Wasp, Red-headed Cardinal Beetle, Cinnabar Moth, Yellow Underwing, Mother Shipton, Yellow-barred Longhorn, Silver Y Moth, Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Mint Moth, Jersey Tiger Moth, Red Underwing, Six Spot Burnet.
