A morning of light cloud with occasional sunny breaks. A south-westerly fresh breeze blowing, with temperatures around 14 degrees C.
Six species of Dragonfly again present on this visit, a nice male Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea the highlight along the western path. Most activity was around Carp Lake in the more sheltered positions, with Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis, Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta, Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans and Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum all present.
Southern Hawker – Aeshna cyanea
Migrant Hawker – Aeshna mixta
Common Darter – Sympetrum striolatum
Common Blue Damselfly – Enallagma cyathigerum
Six Butterflies found, comprising of Comma Polygonia c-album, Green-veined White Pieris napi, Large White Pieris brassicae, Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas, Small White Pieris rapae and Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria. The only moth found was Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana.
Comma – Polygonia c-album
Speckled Wood – Pararge aegeria
Small Copper – Lycaena phlaeas
Beetle-wise Sphaeroderma testaceum was new for the year. 22-spot Ladybird Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata and 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata obvious around the reserve, with a single Adonis’ Ladybird Hippodamia variegata near the Dragonfly Ponds. A single Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni was present in the view-point overlooking Far Lake.
Sphaeroderma testaceum
Four True Bugs found, the best being a Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum along the Northern Path. Only one Spiked Shieldbug Picromerus bidens found on this visit. A Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus rugulipennis was on the Western Path, with a single Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius completing the list.
Hairy Shieldbug – Dolycoris baccarum
Tarnished Plant Bug – Lygus rugulipennis
Things were a little quieter when it comes to the Hoverflies, only Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis tenax, Eupeodes luniger and Helophilus pendulus noted.
Eupeodes luniger
Helophilus pendulus
Eristalis tenax
Island Lake again proved productive for Waders, most showing really well just below Turret Hide early morning. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica was the highlight, nice to see it well after its brief fly-over on Wednesday. Two Ruff Calidris pugnax, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos and Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius also present, with a single Curlew Numenius arquata seen flying east to the north of the reserve. It was also nice to get Treecreeper Certhia familiaris onto the reserve year-list with two present in the North Hedge. A true sign of Autumn was a skein of 34 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus flying south over the reserve. A single bird was also in with the Greylag Goose Anser anser on Village Lake.
Bar-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica
Green Sandpiper – Tringa ochropus
Ruff – Calidris pugnax
Little Egret – Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron – Ardea cinerea
Gadwall – Anas strepera
Birds (49)
Bar-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica
Black Swan – Cygnus atratus
Blackbird – Turdus merula
Black-headed Gull – Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Blue Tit – Cyanistes caeruleus
Canada Goose – Branta canadensis
Carrion Crow – Corvus corone
Common Sandpiper – Actitis hypoleucos
Coot – Fulica atra
Cormorant – Phalacrocorax carbo
Curlew – Numenius arquata
Dunnock – Prunella modularis
Feral Pigeon – Columba livia
Gadwall – Anas strepera
Goldfinch – Carduelis carduelis
Great Crested Grebe – Podiceps cristatus
Great Tit – Parus major
Green Sandpiper – Tringa ochropus
Green Woodpecker – Picus viridis
Grey Heron – Ardea cinerea
Greylag Goose – Anser anser
House Martin – Delichon urbicum
Jackdaw – Corvus monedula
Kestrel – Falco tinnunculus
Lapwing – Vanellus vanellus
Little Egret – Egretta garzetta
Little Grebe – Tachybaptus ruficollis
Little Ringed Plover – Charadrius dubius
Long-tailed Tit – Aegithalos caudatus
Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos
Meadow Pipit – Anthus pratensis
Moorhen – Gallinula chloropus
Mute Swan – Cygnus olor
Pied Wagtail – Motacilla alba yarrellii
Pink-footed Goose – Anser brachyrhynchus
Pochard – Aythya ferina
Reed Bunting – Emberiza schoeniclus
Robin – Erithacus rubecula
Rook – Corvus frugilegus
Ruff – Calidris pugnax
Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna
Shoveler – Anas clypeata
Swallow – Hirundo rustica
Teal – Anas crecca
Treecreeper – Certhia familiaris
Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula
Wigeon – Anas penelope
Woodpigeon – Columba palumbus
Yellow Wagtail – Motacilla flava
Beetles (5)
22-spot Ladybird – Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata
7-spot Ladybird – Coccinella septempunctata
Adonis’ Ladybird – Hippodamia variegata
Alder Leaf Beetle – Agelastica alni
Sphaeroderma testaceum
Butterflies (6)
Comma – Polygonia c-album
Green-veined White – Pieris napi
Large White – Pieris brassicae
Small Copper – Lycaena phlaeas
Small White – Pieris rapae
Speckled Wood – Pararge aegeria
Dragonflies (6)
Blue-tailed Damselfly – Ischnura elegans
Brown Hawker – Aeshna grandis
Common Blue Damselfly – Enallagma cyathigerum
Common Darter – Sympetrum striolatum
Migrant Hawker – Aeshna mixta
Southern Hawker – Aeshna cyanea
Bees (2)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee – Bombus terrestris
Common Carder Bee – Bombus pascuorum
Moths (1)
Common Nettle-tap – Anthophila fabriciana
True Bugs (4)
Common Froghopper – Philaenus spumarius
Tarnished Plant Bug – Lygus rugulipennis
Hairy Shieldbug – Dolycoris baccarum
Spiked Shieldbug – Picromerus bidens
Hoverflies (4)
Marmalade Hoverfly – Episyrphus balteatus
Eristalis tenax
Eupeodes luniger
Helophilus pendulus