Wildlife sightings for 30th August 2015
1 Pintail - male, main lake
42 Shoveler - site count
1 Great Crested Grebe chick - sheltered lagoon, getting large now
1 Hobby - circling to W
2 Black-tailed Godwit - main lake
1 Common Sandpiper - wader scrape
3 Snipe - main lake
40 House Martin - site count
3 Sand Martin - main lake
1 Yellow Wagtail - marsh
1 Whinchat - N bank
1 Lesser Whitethroat - N bank
1 Spotted Flycatcher - sheltered lagoon
August bird highlights: Wigeon, Pintail, Little Egret, Buzzard, Red Kite, Hobby, Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull, Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Whitethroat.
Early wader and duck migration was first seen early July. Post-breeding Shoveler and Teal arrived on the wader scrape, along with Sandpiper species, Black-tailed Godwit and Curlew. Breeding success has included 2 Shoveler broods, 6 Gadwall broods, 14 Tufted Duck broods, 1 Mandarin brood, Common Tern, Lapwing, Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler. Further passage wader activity can be expected on the marsh, scrape or main lake as we move through August.
Dragonflies and Damselflies: Large Red Damselfly, Azure/Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Brown Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Migrant Hawker.
Reptiles: Adult Grass Snake swimming along the edge of the Wildside pond (near the gateway into World Wetlands) early August; also a semi-adult spotted sheltered lagoon. best place for Common Lizards is along the pathway between Wildside gate and the Reedbeds (early August). Late August: 3 new-born Slow Worm found in NW corner of site, juvenile Common Lizards found in entrance area.
Butterflies and other insects: Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Large White, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Comma, Holly Blue, Orange-tip, Green-veined White, Bee-Fly, Miner Bee, White-tailed Bumblebee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee.
Moths: (July/August) 6-Spot Burnet, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Yellow Shell, Brown Silver-line, Silver Y, Jersey Tiger.
Flowering plants: Marsh Marigold, Rough Hawkbit, Cat’s Ear, Meadowsweet, Meadow Rue, Tufted Vetch, Common Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Tare, Cuckoo Flower, Southern Marsh Orchid, Ragged Robin, Bee Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Wild Carrot, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Water Plantain, Flowering Rush, Greater Pond Sedge, Pendulous Sedge, Spike Rush, Soft Rush, Hard Rush, Yellow Iris, Purple Loosestrife, Yellow Loosestrife, Water Mint, Branched Bur-reed, Lady’s Bedstraw and many more. The wet fen meadows in Wildside look at their very best at the moment, and this community is one of the most diverse on the reserve.
