Recent Sightings - 23rd July 2018
The following sightings were recorded today at Mid-High tide from the reserve at Castle Espie.
A very special sighting at Castle Espie this week! During the Butterfly walk over the weekend, Castle Espie's very first Dark Green Fritillary was seen. This beautiful big butterfly inhabits sand dunes and calcareous grasslands, so it's excellent indicator for the health of our own grasslands. Keep an eye out for this large butterfly in our brickworks grassland and around the lime kiln area.
Estuary – visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed Gull 23, Black-tailed Godwit 2, Oystercatcher 79, Common Gull 12, Mallard 4, Eider 2 + 2 Juveniles
Main lake – visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Mallard 151, Tufted duck 8, Black-headed gull 7, Coot 2 + juvenile 1, Moorhen 1, Wigeon 1, Shoveler 1, Little Grebe 1, Lesser Black-back gull 1
Shingle bank – visible from Sensory garden, Wadermarsh and Visitor Centre
Black-headed gull 14, Moorhen 3, Mallard 3, Greylag 3
Wadermarsh – visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 170, Moorhen 5, Greylag 10, Little Egret 2, Common Gull 3
Freshwater Lagoon – visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Black-tailed Godwit 108, Moorhen 10, Coot 3, Mallard 3 + chick 1
Saline Lagoon – visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Grebe 3, Common Tern 1
Limestone Lake
Mallard 11, Tufted duck 3, Little Grebe 2
Peninsula Field and Saltmarsh
Kestral
Brickworks
Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Starling, Swallow, House Martin
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Wood pigeon, Robin, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Jay
Butterflies on the reserve
Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock, Ringlet, Small Copper, Painted Lady, Dark Green Fritillary, Silver Y, Six-Spot Burnet Moth
Dark Green Fritillary and a Six Spot Burnet moth nectaring. Photo credit: Jonathan Clark
