Overcast for most of the day the anticipated rain, not beginning till mid afternoon. A light SE - SW wind
Middleton Nature Reserve
This report from Rosemary and Peter Silvester's visit yesterday
Southern End:
Large White 2
Speckled Wood 4
Red Admiral 1
Common Darters at least 6 pairs ovipositing all together plus lots of lone males
Ruddy Darter 1
Migrant Hawkers 2
2 Robins heard
Main Pond:
Common Blue Damselflies 3
Common Darters (several different pairs ovipositing and lots of lone males)
Migrant Hawker 1
Common Blue Butterfly 1
We also heard a Chiffchaff and a Cettis Warbler.
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| Ruddy Darter |
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| There was a real breeding frenzy going on with 6 or more pairs of Common Darter ovipositing at the same time in a few square yards of water. |
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| Female Common Darter |
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| Migrant Hawker |
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| Common Blue Damselfly |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Common Blue resting on Rigid Eyebright |
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| The Mute Swans on the main pond |
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| Alder Leaf Beetles |
Janet checked today.
Tufted Duck 1 female on the main pond, feeding amongst the Mallard.
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| Mallard and Tufted Duck (some of the bread thrown out for the Mallards sinks and attracts small fish and invertebrates, which in turn attracts the diving ducks) |
Gadwall 1 male on the "no swimming" pond
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| Gadwall and Coot |
South shore - Malcolm 10:00 - 10:30
Just a short walk from the saltmarsh to Red Nab as the incoming tide was covering it
Rock Pipit 1
Wheatear 2
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| Wheatear |
Common Sandpiper 1
Mediterranean gull - when Pete checked earlier only 1 1st calendar year was visible, but either another arrived, or more likely, the incoming tide brought a second in to view |
| 1cy Mediterranean gull |
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| The other 1cy Mediterranean gull with the Common Sandpiper just before it flew east |
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| Originally the Oystercatchers were quite distant |
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| But some ended up close to the sea wall |
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| Revealing one to have a green colour ring. One of a Norwegian scheme, details awaited |
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| Juvenile Knot with Oystercatcher |
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| Little Egret heading off |
The sea wall was closed for maintenance. Don't know how long the work will take.
It seems the problems I have been encountering with the blog is only when using Safari as a server. I managed to upload today's pictures using Google server. Still a bit of a faff, but mainly as I am not used to working in Google. We will see how things go.
