Wildlife sightings for 17th June 2014
6 Common Tern chicks - main lake rafts
1 Yellow Legged Gull 1st summer - main lake
1 Little Ringed Plover - main lake
80 Swift - over reserve
1 Peregrine - perched on hospital
1 Kestrel - South route
June bird highlights: Red Kite, Hobby, Oystercatcher, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow-legged Gull, Kingfisher, Turtle Dove, Swallow, Whitethroat.
Common Tern are now nesting with the Black-headed Gulls on the purpose-built rafts out on the main lake and reservoir lagoon. Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff are among the many breeding birds holding territory around the reserve. Recently Green Sandpipers have been feeding on the marsh and scrape, along with Little Ringed Plover.
Flowering plants: Agrimony, Biting Stonecrop, Black Horehound, Bristly Oxtongue, California Brome, Creeping Cinquefoil, Creeping Thistle, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Greater Burnet, Greater Plantain, Hare’s-foot Clover, Hedge Mustard, Hemlock, Knotgrass, Marsh Bedstraw, Marsh Woundwort, Meadow Fescue, Meadowsweet, Purple Loosestrife, Rat’s-tail Fescue, Red Fescue, Remote Sedge, Scentless Mayweed, Smooth Hawk’s-beard, Squirrel-tail Fescue, Tufted Vetch, Watercress, Yellow Loosestrife, Yellow Oat-grass, Clustered Dock, Common Meadow-rue, Common Twayblade, Dark Mullein, Greater Knapweed, Hedge Woundwort, Lesser Stitchwort, Long-headed Poppy, Pink Water Speedwell, Ribbed Melilot, White Bryony.
Butterflies: Orange Tip, Small White, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Green-veined White, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Red Admiral, Brimstone.
Moths: Elephant Hawk-moth, Lime Hawk-moth, 2 Treble Lines, Heart & Dart, and 3 Light Brocade all caught in overnight moth trap at Explore playground.
Dragonflies: Hairy Dragonfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly.
Hoverflies: Melanostoma scalare, Epistrophe eligans, Riponnensia splendens, Eristalis pertinax, Eristalis intricarius, Myathropa florea, Helophilus pendulus.
Other insects: Honey Bee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Early Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Hairy-footed Flower-bee, Common Green Shield-Bug, Large Red Damselfly, 7-Spot Ladybird, Harlequin Ladybird.
Amphibians: male and female Smooth Newts mostly found in the South Route ponds; Marsh Frogs now very vocal across the reserve, with best places in wildside ponds and entrance lake.
Bats: The third bat survey of the season on 15th May found a couple of locations with constant Soprano Pipistrelle activity (Wildside, Peacock Tower). Nathusius’ Pipistrelle appeared on both transect routes, but constant activity was encountered around the Peacock Tower. Leisler’s Bat had a period of constant activity in the Reedbed area too. There were 7 species of bat recorded, with the following activity levels: Soprano Pipstrelle >> Nathusius’ Pipistrelle > Leisler’s Bat >> Noctule > Daubenton’s Bat > Serotine; also a Common Pipistrelle detected later on after survey.
Reptiles: Slow Worms on banks, adult Grass Snakes occasionally seen swimming in water, Common Lizards basking on bridges, hides, log piles etc.
