7 Little Egrets were on the wader scrape at 06.51hrs (Neil Lunn), but all had left by 07.30hrs (K. Bannister).
A Yellow Wagtail was still in the potato field and a Common Tern was feeding on the scrape (K. Bannister).
Our wonderful wildlife group were busy strimming part of the embankment path and the ringing rides this morning.
While doing that a Water Rail called and 2 Yellow Wagtails were seen in a nearby potato field.
Also of note 3m Small Red-eyed Damselflies and a male and female Ruddy Darter were amongst the many dragons and damsels on show. (CG/K. Bannister).
A Little Ringed Plover visited the wader scrape this afternoon and a maturing owlet was 'branching' not far from the hide (D. Standish).
Insects included 3 Painted Lady, 2 Holly Blue, 6 Gatekeeper, 1m 1f Ruddy Darter, 3 Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 2 Common Blue Damselfly, 2m 1f Broad-bodied Chaser, 1m Banded Agrion, 1m Black-tailed Skimmer and loads of Emperor and Emerald Damselflies (CG)..
A Goldcrest, Dabchick, a family of Tufted Ducks, 2 Mute Swans and a Kingfisher were on show today.
Also present 1 Holly Blue, 4 Red Admiral, and a male Ruddy Darter. (L & A Corrall).
Today was perfect weather for judging day for the Yorkshire in Bloom competition. Russ Boland, Joe Birch and Cliff gave Beatrice Myers a tour around part of the reserve including the wildflower meadow. We will have to wait until September to find out what award the reserve will be awarded. Yo can never be sure of the outcome, but Beatrice did say she loved the wild flower meadow.
The following photos were supplied by Simon Cox & Claire Griffiths
Our wildlife group were busy mowing, strimming and painting this morning
Today's sightings included Kingfisher, 2f Tufted Duck with 9 very small young, Coal Tit and Great Spot Woodpecker (L A Corrall).
A survey of all 3 meadows and the embankment produced 2 Painted Lady, 8 Red Admiral, 1 Peacock (new brood), 8 Small Tort., 18 Comma, 410 Meadow Brown, 136 Ringlet, 15 Gatekeeper, 24 Large Skipper, 104 Small Skipper, 2 Small Heath, 2 Holly Blue, 4 Large White and 59 unidentified White species.
On the scrape 10 Emperor, 4 Black-tailed Skimmer (C. Parkin).
In addition Oystercatcher, 1m Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 2 Brown Hawker, c20 Emerald, Damselfly, 1f Broad-bodied Chaser.
Not forgetting a cracking Scarlet Tiger moth that alighted on a Hogweed leaf right in front of us. The latter being a new species for the reserve! (CG/Helen Todd).
Photos supplied by Helen Todd
On the scrapes today 3 Lapwing, Kingfisher, Moorhen with 3 very small young, Little Grebe, 2 LBB Gull and 2 female Tufted Ducks with 9 young.
Also present Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, 2 juvenile Great Spot Woodpeckers, at least 3m Cetti's Warblers.
Insects included 2 Painted Lady, 1 Red admiral, 4m Small Red -eyed Damselfly, on the dike (near hide), 1m Ruddy Darter, 1 Brown Hawker, 1m Black-tailed Skimmer, 2 Four Spot Chaser, lots of Emperor and Emerald Damselfy (L & A Corrall/CG).
A ringing session provided a a surprise newly fledged juvenile Goldcrest, and a re-trapped male Reed Warbler from July 2018 was the second oldest ever ringed here. As it was an adult when ringed in 2018 that means that it is at least 9 years old having made at least 9 journeys to south of the Sahara and back to the same ringing ride (CG).
On a slightly fresher less oppressive sunny morning, the British Naturalist Group visited the reserve. A walk around the western meadow saw lots of Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and the odd Large Skipper and Common Blue.
The highlight of the morning though was the discovery of the highly migratory Red-veined Darter (male) (Sympetrum fonscolombii) on the largest pond.. This was only our 2nd record of it. The first, also a male, was way back in early July of 2002 found by Peter Senior. This one showed no sign of moving on and showed very well.
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) photos by Kevin from British Naturalist Society
In addition a Small Heath butterfly was found later on the northern meadow (Chris Parkin)
On yet another record breaking very hot June day, the temperature peaked at 34c in my Cudworth garden, 34.2c at Weston Park, Sheffield, and 37.3c at Santon in Suffolk was the highest ever recorded June temperature.
The extreme heat saw lots and lots of macro moths to my MV lamp in the garden last night. At least 22 species that included 3 Coronet, 6 Swallow-tailed, Pebble Hook-tip, Common Emerald, Fan-foot, Clouded Border, Blackneck, Light Arches, 3 Poplar Hawk, 20 Elephant Hawk, Clouded Silver, Common Footman and Spectacle.
Also of note c25 Box Moths.
This morning Goldcrest, LRP, Kestrel, 2 Great Spot Woodpeckers, 2 Kingfisher, 3 Mistle Thrush.
Also 3 Large Skipper, 4 Red Admiral and a Cinnabar moth (A. Corrall/M. White).
Carlton Marsh
3 juv Grey Heron, Kingfisher, LBB Gull, Gadwall with 10 young, juv. Great Spot Woodpecker.
Butterflies included 16 Ringlet, 15 Small Skipper, 50 Meadow Brown, and 4 Common Blue.
Also 1 Narrow bordered 5 spot Burnet Moth and 1 Burnet Companion. All on the western meadow.
There were 2m Broad-bodied Chasers and several Emperor dragonflies.
13 species of butterfly included 2 Painted Lady, 6 Red Admiral, 18 Small Tort., 25 Speckled Wood, 1 Brown Argus, and lots of Peacock larvae.
There were c100 Banded Agrion, and 6 day-flying Chimney Sweeper moths (Chris Parkin).
Last night seemed to perfect for moth catching as it was very warm and humid, However, in the 2 hrs Chris Parkin and I were there we only managed 15 species of macro moth. These included Ghost Moth, Barred Straw, Light Emerald and Small Fan Foot.
As we were catching a trio of Tawny Owl owlets constantly called from the trees around us in the darkness.
A Common Tern was present again and more Kingfisher photos were taken by Harold Heath & Clive Mitchell from the hide this morning.
A pair of Mute Swans had 5 cygnets.
14 species of butterfly today included 2 Gatekeeper, 4 Painted Lady, 46 Marbled White, 106 Meadow Brown, 72 Ringlet and 28 Small Heath,. Also present Common Darter (C. Parkin).
1 adult & 1 juvenile kingfisher and a Common Tern (Amy Lomas).
juvenile Kingfisher photos by Clive Mitchell & Harold Heath
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