Saturday and Sunday 6th and 7th July and Butterflies

Bittern over Grenaway's (c) Bark

The summer continues to roll round and as expected we are starting to see a few more waders coming through the reserve. There was a Green Sandpiper feeding on the spit of mud that now extends across the back of the southern lagoon.   

Green Sand (c) Bark

The Black-headed Gull colony has relocated to the lagoon in front of the first screen and there are at least ten small, newly hatched chicks to be seen, whilst two pairs are still sitting on reoccupied Coot nests. The Gull chicks range from the cute and fluffy stage through to freshly fledged and flying. The parent birds are very attentive and challenge anything that comes too close to their offspring.

Gull Chicks and a parent bird chasing off Cormorants.(c) Bark

With the warmer temperatures and little rainfall this muddy area is sure to grow more extensive. On Sunday morning there were three Little Ringed Plovers on one of the Greenaway’s scrapes, two adults and a juvenile.

Hobby (c) Bark

An unpaired Hobby can usually be spotted first thing in the morning out on the fence posts on Greenaway’s. It favours the nearer perches and can often be seen taking off and seizing a dragonfly before setting back down to eat it. Curlew can still be heard and a young bird was seen flying with an adult.

curlews adult and juvenile (c) Paul Wyeth

Another sign that time is moving on was the sighting of the first party of returning Redstarts on the northern side of the reserve. It may have been a family party as there was certainly a pair of adults and at least one young bird. Over the next couple of months they will move through often staying for a week or so while they moult and feed up for their migration.

That Sedgie again (c) Bark

There are still birds singing as they set up for second broods, there was a Grasshopper warbler reeling in the carpark field on Saturday and another right beside the path through July’s Meadow on Sunday morning. For the first time since the spring I heard no cuckoos calling and they are now well on their way back to Africa. We will be listening out for the begging calls of the young cuckoos. They can sometimes be seen being fed by their diminutive surrogate parents outside the nest once they have outgrown it. 

Blackcap with caterpillar (c) Bark

Other birds can be seen with beaks full of invertebrate food for their offspring or busily hunting through the bushes. There are also young warblers beginning to gather together into loose mixed flocks and individuals can sometimes offer an id challenge.

Young Warblers above(c) Paul Wyeth and below (c) Bark

One of the greatest attractions on and around the moor at this time of year is the great diversity of invertebrate life to be seen. 

Hoverfly and Cardinal Beetle? (c) Bark

This is especially true of butterflies. It seems to be a good year for all species and the hay fields are busy with Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Marbled Whites. We are very lucky to have four species of Hairstreaks resident on and around the reserve. 

Purple Hairstreak above (c) Paul wyeth and White Letter Hairstreak (c) Bark

The Black Hairstreaks are scarcer and are nearly at the end of their flight period. Purple and White Letter Hairstreaks are on the wing now and seem to be present in good numbers. The Brown Hairstreaks will be flying in a couple of weeks time and I am sure that they will once again attract lots of admirers to the Roman Road.

Some butterflies from this weekend (c) Bark