Wildlife sightings for w/c 15th June 2020
Dragonflies and Damselflies are feeding, mating and ovipositing across the reserve, as well flocks of Swifts, Common Tern, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Wheatear and lots of breeding warblers to be found
1 Lesser Whitethroat - sheltered lagoon (16th)
4 Chiffchaff - wildside, sheltered lagoon
1 Wheatear - marsh (18th)
Reed Warbler juvs - wildside, reedbed, sheltered lagoon
8 Reed Bunting - reedbed, main lake
2 Buzzard - over NW+E (15th)
1 Hobby (18th)
2 Oystercatcher - main lake (15th-17th)
1 Black-tailed Godwit - marsh (18th)
3 Common Tern - main lake (nesting), reservoir lagoon
2 Mediterranean Gull - main lake (almost daily)
200 Swift - main lake, reservoir lagoon
80+ Sand Martin - wader scrape, marsh, main lake, reservoir lagoon
1 Gadwall brood - reservoir lagoon
Dragonflies: (mid-June) Common Blue Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly (see 2nd photo below), Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer (see 1st photo below of a female), Southern Hawker, Four-spotted Chaser.
Amphibians: Marsh Frogs singing in wildside ponds, entrance lake, pond zone.
Water voles: one seen by Rain Garden on the south route (9th June).
Wildflowers: wildside 'tall herb wet fen grasslands' are currently the best for species like Meadow Rue, Southern Marsh Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Tufted Vetch, Hemlock Water-dropwort, Meadow Vetchling, Yellow Bartsia, Also to be found on the reserve there's Bird's-foot Trefoil, Bee Orchid, Coral-root, Yellow Flag, Common Vetch, Grass Vetchling, Ox-eye Daisy, Rough Hawkbit, Cat's Ear, White Water Lily, Fringed Water Lily, Water Forget-me-not, Branched Bur-reed, Greater Pond Sedge, Pendulous Sedge, Tussock Sedge, Marsh Woundwort and Purple Loosestrife, Common Fleabane, Flowering Rush, Knapweed, Goat's Beard, Monkey-flower, Betony, Agrimony and Mouse-ear Hawkweed all in flower.
Butterflies and Bees: (mid-June) Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoishell, Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Wood, Small White, Common Blue (see photo below), Andrena cineraria, Anthophora plumipes.
