One of the good points about the reserve, is that most of the ponds and scrapes are inaccessible. Obviously a good point, in that it's designed to keep Joe Blogs from trespassing in the area....Well it kept me away!
But the first pond I found was called Alder Pool, appropriately named as there was a lone Alder to the north of it. Viewable over a fence through a gap in the hedge, and where I found an Emperor Dragonfly pair, with the male patrolling the pond, and the female eventually ovipositing.
Also seen were 6 Common Darter, seen as five male but included a female coming close to settle on a twig for a picture. Leaving the reserve, I walked along a short stretch of the canal to find 3 Brown Hawker including a female ovipositing, also a Blue-tailed Damselfly seen.
I soon rejoined the reserve at the east end, to find another 4 Brown Hawker and 8 Common Darter, these were all seen basking on the fence line.
Raptors.
As I was leaving the reserve, a Buzzard was overhead being mobbed by a Sparrowhawk, an excellent sighting for size comparison and a soaring Buzzard with the flap-flap-glide flight of the hawk.
Butterflies.
Give the perfect weather conditions today and in the near future, my butterfly records continue to be sparse, with just 4 Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell seen in 3 hours here today.
Caterpillars.
I spotted two on the grit track just a couple of metres apart.
Garden Butterflies.
Two stunning Peacock were in our garden yesterday with a Red Admiral....
Pete - I haven't been to that reserve this year but had a couple of walks round last year and it is quite pleasant. Nice colourful butterfly pictures. Speaking of which the last couple of days have brought the Lepidoptera out in my garden. Just as last year as soon as the big butterfly count finishes the Small Tortoiseshell explode. As I write this there must be at least 10 on my butterfly bushes accompanied by several Red Admiral about 4 Peacock and a Painted Lady, brilliant and heart warming to watch.
ReplyDeleteI have had 1,476 Large Yellow Underwing moths in my trap so far this year.
Thanks
Ian