Overnight rain and early morning showers then dry until heavy evening rain. The only sunshine was hazy. A freshening SW wind end up being quite strong
Nature Park - Janet
Just a walk through while exercising a dog. Two Grey Squirrels quickly went up the trees.
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| Painted Lady |
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| Common Darter |
Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm 14:30 - 15:45
Main Pond
Mute Swan 2
Mallard c20
Tufted Duck 8
Little Grebe 1
Coot 7
Moorhen 3
Cetti's warbler gave one burst of song
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| Tufted Duck |
The Little Grebe was below the surface for most of the time
"No swimming" pond
Just 1 Mute Swan, 3 Coot and a Moorhen
I checked the open water on the central and western marshes, no wildfowl seen
Just 3 Common Darter and 1 Common Blue Damselfly seen and each was resting on something light to gain whatever heat they could from the watery sun.
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| Common Darter |
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| Common Blue Damselfly |
Goldfinch 40+ in one mobile flock. Mainly youngsters. I was amazed that there wasn't a Sparrowhawk around, probably already fed.
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| Juvenile Goldfinch |
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| All these are youngsters |
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| Goldfinch |
Southern Section of the reserve
I checked the pond, the water level is increasing again, but I only saw one Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker was the only dragonfly seen on the wing today
A walk through the central meadow, hoping I might find the Copper-Tip Longhorn moths that have been seen on the Fleabane here in the previous two years. None seen today, but a lot of insects were visiting the Fleabane.
I know very little about flies etc. but I do like their names! These are what I believe these insects are called, but I would be happy to be corrected if I have got any wrong.
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| Tiger Marsh Fly |
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| Marmalade Fly |
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| Locust Fly |
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| Long Winged Dusky Face (what a great name!) |
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| This Parasitic Wasp only has a Latin name Enicospilus ramidulus |
Painted Lady 1
Red Admiral 1
Small White 2
Speckled Wood 2
Not a bad tally as no butterflies at all were seen on the north side
