Wildlife sightings for 7th August 2017
3 Little Egret - grazing marsh
1 Kingfisher - wader scrape
1 Peregrine - perched on the hospital
12 Teal - main lake, wader scrape
2 Willow Warbler - South route, wildside
2 Chiffchaff - South route, wildside
Additional sightings from yesterday:
1 Black Redstart (female) - grazing marsh fence
1 Little Egret - main lake
1 Kestrel - wader scrape fence
July bird highlights: Oystercatcher, Garganey, Curlew, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Peregrine, Hobby, Arctic Tern, Kingfisher, Swallow, Garden Warbler, Stonechat, Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat.
Summer breeding birds on site include Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Shelduck, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Little Grebe and Gadwall. Sand Martins using the artificial nest bank on the wader scrape have now occupied 90 nest chambers with 54 broods fledged so far (recorded early June). The wader scrape has several bro0ds of ducklings and a few wader chicks, making best use of the Purple Loosestrife cover to hide from predatory Gulls and Herons. Black-headed Gulls have had many broods this season with chicks and immature birds visible on the main lake rafts and islands. At the end of July the first post-breeding migrant wader species are being spotted daily on the muddy shores and islands.
Moths: 127 species were recorded in the latest June moth trap, including Pale Brindled Beauty, Spring Usher, The Herald, Lunar Marbled Brown, Silver-Y, Small Elephant Hawkmoth, Eyed Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Lime Hawkmoth.
Other insects: Butterflies: Large Skipper, Red Admiral, Green Hairstreak, Painted Lady, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small White, Comma, Peacock, Large White, Small Tortoishell. Bees: Buff-tailed Bumble Bees, Red Mason Bees, White-tailed Bumble Bee, Common Carder Bee, Early Mining Bee, Tawny Mining bee, Chocolate Mining Bee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Large Red-tailed Bumble Bee, Dark-edged Beefly. Common Flower Bug, Rove Beetle, Black-striped Longhorn Beetle, Leaf Beetle.
Dragonflies/Damseflies: Scarce Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer.
Flowering plants: Marsh Marigold, Red+White Dead-nettle, Lesser Celandine, Bulbous Buttercup, Cuckooflower, Forget-me-not, Ragged Robin, Common Vetch, Cat’s Ear, Common Knapweed, Common Mallow, Meadow Vetchling, Grass Vetchling, Monkey-flower, Self-heal, Red+White Clover, Yellow Bartsia, Meadow Rue, Meadowsweet, Betony, Marsh Woundwort, Tufted Vetch, Water Mint, Purple Loosestrife, Fleabane, Great Burnet, Hop Trefoil, Green Alkanet, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle.
