Wildlife sightings for w/c 20th July 2020
Migrant waders dropping in and a few migrant warbler on the reserve
2 Common Tern - reservoir lagoon
1 Greenshank - main lake
1 Green Sandpiper - main lake, scrape
2 Black-tailed Godwit - main lake
2 Redshank - scrape
6 Chiffchaff - sheltered lagoon, wildside
1 Kingfisher - reservoir lagoon
Dragonflies: (early July) Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Brown Hawker (photo below), Willow Emerald Damselfly, Common Darter.
Butterflies: (late July) Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoishell, Small White, Large White, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood.
Wildflowers and grasshoppers: the grasslands around the sheltered lagoon, south and wildside are teaming with colourful wildflowers like Tufted Vetch, Common Knapweed, Fleabane, Agrimony, Lady's Bedstraw, Yellow Loosestrife, Pyramidal Orchid, Meadow Vetchling, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Yarrow, Great Burnet and many more. These grasslands attract many grasshoppers and crickets - look out for the impressive Dark Bush-cricket and Roesel's Bush-cricket in the tall herbage.
