Wildlife sightings for w/c 27th July 2020
Lots of wading birds, Redstart and Jersey Tiger Moths all on the reserve
3 Common Tern - main lake
2 Dunlin - main lake
3 Green Sandpiper - marsh, scrape
1 Common Sandpiper - main lake
1 Ruff - main lake
46 Lapwing - main lake, scrape
2 Pochard juveniles (one month old) - main lake
8 Tufted Duck broods - main lake, scrape, reservoir lagoon
16 Shoveler - main lake, scrape
2 Gadwall broods - scrape, main lake
5 Teal - scrape
7 Chiffchaff - south route, sheltered lagoon, wildside
1 Redstart - wader scrape scrub
1 Lesser Whitethroat - sheltered lagoon
1 Kingfisher - reservoir lagoon, wildside
2 Hobby
1 Marsh Harrier - marsh
Dragonflies: (early July) Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Brown Hawker, Willow Emerald Damselfly, Common Darter.
Butterflies: (late July) Brown Argus (see photo below), Common Blue, Holly Blue, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoishell, Small White, Large White, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Jersey Tiger Moth.
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.
Reptiles and amphibians: Slow worm (juveniles) spotted by Pond Zone; 5 Marsh Frogs in the 'Tundra' channel in World Wetlands; lots of Marsh Frogs calling from wildside ponds on sunny days.
