Month: June 2018

Whillet’s:- A moth box overnight produced two new moth species for the reserve: Bird’s Wing & Barred Straw, I also trapped a Poplar Hawkmoth, Buff Tip & Large Emerald. In total 28 moths from 9 species, but none were particularly rare. A butterfly transect count today showed Ringlets & Meadow Browns were on the wing in numbers with a count of 43 & 49 respectively, also noted were 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Comma, 1 Common Blue, 5 Small Skipper.

West End:- Great Crested Grebe numbers are increasing with a count of 78 today. The 5 pairs of Common Terns on … Read the rest

Whillet’s:- 2 Reed Buntings, 1 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Kestrel, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Common Lizard, 6 Grass Snake, 2 Small Skippers, 3 White-legged Damselfly, 1 Blue-tail Damselfly, 1 Emperor Dragonfly.

Butterfly transect walk and check at the pond after the Work Party had finished.
Whillet’s:- 1 Ringlet (first of the season – picture), 12 Meadow Brown, 1 Common Blue, 3 Large Skipper, plus 1 day flying moth –  Yellow Shell (picture). 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies, many Azure Damselflies, 1 Emperor Dragonfly, 1 Banded Demoiselle. Blackbirds & Song Thrushes were singing also 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Buzzard and 1 Kestrel over.
The meadow pond (picture) was surveyed recently and found to be very healthy with a good mix of species. A short dipping session earlier in the day by one of our … Read the rest

West End:- 10 adult Common Terns with 14 chicks, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Herring Gull, 7 Lapwings, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Swifts, 1 Swallow, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Coots, 1 Moorhen, 53 Greylag Geese, 3 Canada Geese, 1 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 2 Pied Wagtail, 3 Goldfinch, 1 Mute Swan, 1 male Black-Tailed Skimmer.

WeBS Counts
Dam End:-  2 Little Grebe on lagoon, 6 Mandarin, 7 Canada Geese with 4 well-grown young, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull & Black-headed Gull, 7 Herring Gull, 4 House Martin, 10 Swift, 4 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Blackcap & Chiffchaff plus another Blackcap & 3 Chiffchaff along part of South Bank.
West End:- All 5 pairs of Common Terns nesting on rafts now have at least one hatched young each with 10 chicks in total, 47 Great Crested Grebe with at least 6 nests, 30 Cormorant, 7 Grey Heron… Read the rest

West End:- 7 Common Tern, 2 Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Woodpigeon, 2 Chiffchaff, 5+ Cormorant, 19 Great Crested Grebe, 21 Greylag Goose, Mute Swan.
West End:- The Common Tern nest on each of the old rafts has hatched at least one chick. But they are hiding under their buckets. The three Common Tern nests on the new raft are still being incubated. One Lapwing on Pintail Point where there appear to be two Great Crested Grebe nests.

North Bank:- 10 Buzzards, 1 Red Kite, 1 Hobby, Kestrel (male and female), 2 Ravens, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Goldfinch.
Whillets:- 1 Bullfinch, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Blackcap, 2 White-legged Damselfly, 1 Blue-tail Damselfly, 2 Emperor Dragonfly, 1 Beautiful Demoiselle, 1 Banded Demoiselle.