What have we seen this week?
We are into July now and have been experiencing a lot of mixed weather, from pouring to bright sunshine in a matter of minutes. The wet weather hasn’t discouraged our buzzing insects though. Meadow brown, ringlet and speckled wood butterflies have been spotted. The Teal Pond is a hotspot for dragonflies as always with a male common darter sighted there last week.
Ospreys were seen resting on a log out on the merse and flying over the Folly Pond in the last fortnight. To spot one takes patience so settling into a hide with your lunch might be a way to go! We’ve also had visitors report a few marsh harrier sightings.
Gadwall and little grebe have dropped onto the Whooper Pond last week. The family of mute swans and their seven cygnets have been making themselves comfortable there too and the Peter Scott Observatory is a great way to get a look a them.
A stoat was seen in the yard predating on the jackdaws that nest there. We have had our usual complement of roe deer around. They have been making the most of the long grass around the Whooper Pond. Once they have spotted a visitor, they have trotted off through the meadow.
If you want to be part of the action, check out what we’ve got on this summer.
Words by Marianne Nicholson
Picture of osprey by James Lees
