Wildlife sightings for 24th August 2014
1 Garganey - main lake
2 Ruddy Duck - males, reservoir lagoon
1 Little Ringed Plover - main lake
2 Greenshank - juveniles, main lake
2 Hobby
7 Buzzard
3 Little Egret - flew W
60 House Martin - on site
30 Sand Martin - on site
3 Tree Pipit - flew SW
6 Yellow Wagtail - flew S/SW and 1 briefly landed in entrance area
1 Whinchat - perched on fox fence
7 Chiffchaff - on site
3 Willow Warbler - south route, sheltered lagoon path
1 Garden Warbler - south route
1 Common Whitethroat - south route
1 Lesser Whitethroat - south route
1 Nuthatch - calling amongst roving flock of tits and warblers, entrance area
August bird highlights: Hobby, Peregrine, Buzzard, Garganey, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Little Ringed Plover, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher.
Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting have all bred successfully so far this summer. A few occasional waders (Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Ruff) have been spotted throughout July and early August, feeding on the muddy edges of the main lake and wader scrape. Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls raised several broods out on the nesting rafts. A pair of Little Ringed Plover raised a brood on the scrape. At least 3 broods of Lapwing fledged from both the scrape and the marsh. Snipe have reappeared on the marsh at the end of July. Small numbers of Teal and Shoveler can be found on the scrape and main lake; more are expected to arrive throughout August with the start of autumn migration.
Flowering plants: Wild Parsnip, Wild Carrot, Black Medick, Buckthorn, Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill, Dog-rose, Globeflower, Greater Celandine, Horseradish, Meadow Clary, Yellow Iris, Common Stork’s-bill, Goat’s-beard, Hairy Tare, Hoary Cress, Adder’s-tongue fern, Common Spike-rush, Dogwood, Germander Speedwell, Glaucous Sedge, Hedgerow Crane’s-bill, Red Clover, Round-leaved Crane’s-bill, Solomon’s Seal, Star-of-Bethlehem, Tuberous Comfrey, White Water-lily, Beaked Hawk’s-beard, Bird Cherry, Bistort, Bogbean, Bugle, Clustered Mouse-ear, False Fox-sedge, Field Forget-me-not, Garlic Mustard, Greater Stitchwort, Greater Tussock-sedge, Guelder-rose, Lesser Pond-sedge, Ox-eye Daisy, Pendulous Sedge, Red Valerian.
BUTTERFLIES & DAY-FLYING MOTHS: Butterfly transect (end July 2014): Gatekeeper (82) > Common Blue (51) > Six-spot Burnet (50), Meadow Brown (50) > Small White (13) > Speckled Wood (9) > Green-veined White (7) > Holly Blue (4) > Large White (3), Red Admiral (3), Peacock (3), Comma (3) > Small / Essex Skipper (2) > Clouded Yellow (1), Small Copper (1), Vapourer Moth (1).
Notable site records for this summer so far: Mother Shipton, Barred Yellow (1st recorded at in 2008), Green Hairstreak, Red-tipped Clearwing (1st site record. Nationally scarce), Cinnabar Moth, Ringlet, Small Heath (UK BAP Priority species), White Admiral.
DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES: Dragonfly transect (29th July): Common Blue / Azure Damselfly (90) > Small Red-eyed Damselfly (58) > Blue-tailed Damselfly (20) > Emperor Dragonfly (15) > Common Darter (6) > Red-eyed Damselfly (5) > Black-tailed Skimmer (4) > Ruddy Darter (3) > Migrant Hawker (2), Brown Hawker (2) > Southern Hawker (1).
BUSH-CRICKETS & GRASSHOPPERS: Roesel’s Bush-cricket, Dark Bush-cricket, Common Green Grasshopper, Field Grasshopper.
HOVERFLIES & OTHER FLIES: Tropidia scita, Parhelophilus frutetorum and Eupeodes luniger.
Reptiles: 3rd August survey: 1 adult (f) – pond zone canopy; 1 adult, 4 juvs - Dulverton Hide bridge; 1 juv – main reedbed channel (wildside) on the culvert over the sluice from the ‘grebe pool’; 1 adult, 1 juv - 4th bridge into wildside; 1 juv – 1st bridge into wildside.
