The two Whooper Swans are still on the main scrape with a single Mute Swan and 14 (8m) Tufted Ducks, and broods of 4 Mallard and 3 coot. A male Cuckoo sang, but the 'hepatic' female hasn't been reported for more than a week. (CG).
A great Spotted Woodpecker made several feeding trips and 2 Juvenile Tawny Owls were 'branching'. (Dave Standish).
Anglers CP:
Wigeon 1. Dunlin 1. Swift 350, but very few hirundines.
12 Broods of Black-headed Gulls. Common Tern 8.
Wintersett Res:
MuteSwan 35 + 2 ACP. Goldeneye 1. Common Tern 8.
Cetti's Warbler 3. Cuckoo 1 male.
Old Royston Flash:
At least 3 broods of Lapwing. Yellow Wagtail 1.
Anglers CP:
Dunlin 1. Little Ringed Plover 2. Wigeon 1 drake.
Wintersett Res:
A Cuckoo called twice from trees near the boathouse bench at Wintersett Res. at 12.10hrs.
A fisherman on the edge of Willow Wood had told me one had been calling at 04.50 hrs in the south east corner.
Cold Hiendley Field
Steve Denny counted 10 male Yellow Wagtails this morning.
Anglers CP:
Little Ringed Plover 2. Wigeon 1 male. Dunlin 1.
Psycho the adult Yellow-legged Gull paid a visit.
Wintersett Res:
Common Tern 14. Mute Swan 15. Cetti's Warbler 1 male north bank + 1 male east bank.
Botany Bay Insects:
Orange Tip 1 male. Red-eyed Damselfly 1 male.
An Oystercatcher paid a brief visit to the wader scrape at 10.40hrs (Richard Laverack). Also present Kingfisher and Great Spotted Woodpecker. 2 Peregrines were circling Ardagh Glassworks (Mick Littlewood).
A survey of insects on the three meadows with Richard Laverack produced counts of, 5 GV White, 7 Large White, 5 Common Blue, 7 Small Copper, 19 Small Heath and 6 Dingy Skipper. Day flying moths included 4 Straw Dot, 2 Mother Shipton, 2 Latticed Heath and 4 Burnet Companion on the managed western meadow.
Anglers CP:
Oystercatcher 1 young (south pair), north pair have failed.
Wigeon 1 male. Dunlin 1. Shoveler 1 male + 1 female.
Wintersett Res:
A Water Rail was calling on the north bank, near boathouse at 09.45hrs.
Mute Swan 23 +2 Anglers CP + 4 Cold Hiendley Res..
Botany Bay + Odonata:
Goldcrest 2 males.
Hairy Dragonfly 1 male. Red-eyed Damselfly 30. Azure Damselfly 2 pairs.
Disposal Point: Big Pond:
Little Grebe 2 large young. Great Crested Grebe 2 young. Pochard 1 male.
Disposal Point Insects:
Dingy Skipper 4. Small Heath 2. Small Yellow Underwing 3. Orange Tip 1.
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Greylag Goose 51.
Canada Goose 58.
Gadwall 10. Wigeon 1 male. Little Ringed Plover 2. Dunlin 1.
Golf Course Field and Marsh:
A drake Mandarin was on the edge of the marsh.
A male Cetti's Warbler was heard.
Walton Hall:
Oystercatcher 2 and 1 young
Wintersett Res:
Mute Swan 8 young.
Lepidoptera:
A Painted Lady and a Red Admiral were seen in the Car Park.
Anglers CP:
A Dunlin was in the shallows. Wigeon 1 male. Sand Martin 2.
Greylag Goose 27. Canda Goose 28 young.
Oystercatcher 1 young + 1 young + 6 adults.
Wintersett Res:
Common Tern 15. Mallard 2 very small young in south east corner.
Georgie found a pupa in a pile of dry reeds he was sifting through
at Wintersett Res. back in late March 2022.
Common Tern 16 + 1 Anglers CP.
5 Shelduck flew in from the west at 11.30hrs.
Goldeneye 1 female
A Red Kite flew south west at 12.20 hrs.
Anglers CP:
Mallard young - 9 medium/large, 1 medium and 9 small.
Wigeon 1 male.
Coleoptera:
Swollen-thighed beetle, Oedemera nobilis - 2 males on Wintersett Res. Dam wall.
This afternoon a Cuckoo sang. A butterfly count included 5 Common Blue, 11 Dingy Skipper and 13 Small Heath. Day flying moths on show were 3 Mother Shipton and 2 Burnet Companion, on the Western Meadow. The latter are new for the reserve. (Chris Parkin).
Anglers CP:
Pochard 1 male. Wigeon 1 male. Oystercatcher young 1 + 1.
Wintersett Res:
Common Tern 13. Sand Martin 6.
Two Cuckoos this morning included the 'Hepatic' female. Both Whooper Swans are still present, one on the scrape and the other on the wader scrape.
Also of note a Mallard with 5 new young, Kingfisher, Great Spot Woodpecker, Cetti's Warbler and a single holly Blue. ( L & A Corrall/CG).
Anglers CP:
Wigeon 1 male. Oystercatcher 1 young + 1 young. Little Ringed Plover 2.
Wintersett Res:
Common Tern 4.
Odonata over Botany Bay:
A Hairy Dragonfly was the second record for the area.
Red-eyed Damselfly 32 males + 2 females.
Lepidoptera:
Orange Tip 1 male on north bank WRes..
Another Garden Warbler from 2017 retrapped today, 20/06/17) showing good longevity,
A visit from Georgie W-S this morning produced numerous species of insects..
Here are just a few of the highlights, and we also had 10 Agapanthia villosoviridescens and 15 Wasp Beetles.
All photos and information by Georgie Wightman-Smith. (Twitter @GeorgieWightman)
Red eyed Damselfly, Erythromma najas Botany Bay
Fly : Otites guttatus, on dock at Wintersett Res.
