Wildlife sightings for 4th August 2022
Green sandpiper on the main lake. Hobby hunting Sand Martins. 7 species of warbler at wildside.
Birds:
2 Green Sandpiper - main lake
3 Oystercatcher - main lake
2 Garganey - main lake
1 Hobby - wader scrape
7 Common Tern + juvs - main lake, reedbed, sheltered lagoon
25+ Lapwing - main lake, marsh, reservoir lagoon
1 Kingfisher - sheltered lagoon
1 Common Whitethroat - wildside
2 Chiffchaff - wildside
1 Willow Warbler - wildside
3 Blackcap - wildside
5 Sedge Warbler - wildside
Cetti's Warbler - wildside
Reed warbler - wildside
Flowering plants: Great Burnet, Salad Burnet, Agrimony, Cut-leaved Crane's-bill, Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, Herb Robert, Bramble, Self-heal, Common Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Dog Rose, Common Mallow, Beaked Hawksbeard, Smooth Hawksbeard, Creeping Cinquefoil, 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 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.
