Wildlife sightings for 24th July 2018
6 Common Tern - main lake, reservoir lagoon
1 Little Egret - flew East along the river
1 Pochard brood of 4 - reservoir lagoon
1 Hobby - hunting over sheltered lagoon
30+ Swift - main lake, grazing marsh, reservoir lagoon
Please note there will be essential management work on the main lake July 23-26. This is to remove annual growth from the islands, control the non-native New Zealand Pygmyweed, and to re-profile some of the islands. Apologies for any disturbance this may cause.
June/July bird highlights: Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Avocet, Redshank, Greenshank, Snipe, Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Common Tern(7), Peregrine, Red Kite, Buzzard, Hobby, Little Egret(6), Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Yellow Wagtail.
4 Lapwing fledged from the marsh in June, and Sand Martins had occupied at least 70% of the nest chambers by mid-July. At least 42 Black-headed Gull nests were recorded in 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/July – entrance lake, wildside and south route ponds and pools.
Butterflies/Moths: Red Admiral, Small Tortoishell, Peacock, Marbled White, 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, Toadflax Brocade, Diamond-back Moth, Dark Sword-grass, Silver Y, Elephant Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Dotted Fan-foot, Jersey Tiger.
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, Lesser Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, Small Red-eyed Damselfly.
Other insects: Black-striped Longhorn Beetle, Common Malachite Beetle, Fairy Ring Longhorn Beetle, Roesel’s Bush-cricket, Field Grasshopper, Long-winged Conehead.
Reptiles: 94 Slow Worms (40 juveniles, 34 females, 15 males) recorded on the latest reptile transect (May). Juvenile Common Lizards around the benches and bridge timbers particularly in wildside (mid-July).
