On such a glorious day how could one not take advantage of the sunshine and see what was alive on the Reserve.
A recent poster needed to be installed in the Wetlands Centre foyer and I knew my volunteer friends would be there welcoming all, so with a quick scan along the estuary to survey the ebb-tide situation, I made post haste in their direction.
On arriving I was duly greeted by Brian and Roger who were being kept busy by a stream of visitors who had the same thoughts as myself about the Bank Holiday weekend sunshine. Pond dipping equipment and general advise was being handed out. They informed me that they had had a Nuthatch feeding from one of the hangers and that one of our regular birdwatchers had, not long before, reported seeing two Black-tailed Godwits on the Saltmarsh Pool and an Osprey, way out on a post along the boundary fence. I was tempted to trek along the marsh front to view them for myself but decided to keep to my original plan of photographing Dragon and Damselflies (and Butterflies too) which I knew would be flying on such a day.
A Nuthatch seen in the hamlet a few days earlier.
Stopping to peep into the arable field on my way along the Lonning, I was pleased to see plenty of white butterflies flying ( mostly Green-veined Whites) and a few Linnets flitting in and out. Along the field margin, amongst the Bistort, pale blue flowers of Flax were beginning to show.
Flax and Bistort flowering in the arable field.
Reaching the 1st Meadow Pool area, through the screen on the left-hand side, I could see the outlines of calves and cattle near the water trough. One calf was duly drinking from it but the other four were making free with a convenient cow to quench their thirst. Common and Black Darters were flying today. Having recently emerged, their glistening wings shimmered in the bright light as they moved along the trackside vegetation. Suddenly a Southern Hawker appeared sailing straight towards me down the track, but no sooner had I collected my thoughts than it was gone - flitting over the hedge into the adjacent field. Ah well! They do have the habit of popping up again later!
Thirsty calves taking advantage of somebody' else's mother.
An immature Common Darter, its wings hardening in the sunshine.
Female Black Darter.
Several Wall Browns and a Peacock Butterfly adorned the warm track on the way up to the hide. The cheerful trill of a Wren from the hedgerow was the only evidence of birdlife I was to encounter in this area.
Wall Brown basking on track . . .
. . . and nectaring on Bird's-foot Trefoil.
On reaching the hide, I was able to open a few windows and leave the door open to make it more comfortable. Across the Moss, the heather was starting to bloom - making this a picturesque scene with the haze on the uplands in the background. A lone walker could be seen crossing on the boardwalk, pausing periodically to look down - presumably to view the Common Lizards which bask in the sun along its length.
Heather in bloom on the Moss.
The Willow Bower and small pools across the meadow to the right were to be my destination. The pool here has been newly contoured this last year and has developed into an attractive area for damsel and dragonfly. On approaching I was pleased to see a large Dragonfly already patrolling the perimeter. It would sail round about a metre or so above the vegetation, occasionally suddenly kicking up into the air and reversing its direction. Periodically it encountered another dragonfly and a tussle ensued, with the intruder taking flight.
The Bower Pool.
Common Hawker patrolling the pool . . .
. . . and gliding over the water plants.
Back . . .
. . . and forth it went.
Beyond the island in the middle, another shallow area of water has been created and sometimes it would venture round into this area. Common Darters were using an old tree stump as a station from which to soak up the heat on sunny days. The margins here were carpeted with Bistort through which Scarlet Pimpernels were pushing.
Common Darters kept landing on this old Tree stump.
Bistort and Scarlet Pimpernels along the edges of the pool.
Although the sun was very hot, I stayed here for about an hour, watching the flight patterns - trying to find the best position to place myself in to capture these swift flying creatures on camera. As it zipped past me, I could see flashes of blue and its tail drooped giving the impression of a Migrant Hawker but on interrogating my photos later it turned out to be a Common Hawker (thank you David Clarke for confirmation). However, it is always entrancing to be able to watch such lovely creatures in action.
On the way back down the Lonning, Swallows were hawking overhead for the plentiful supply of insects. A solitary juvenile was sitting high up on a branch in the hedgerow, looking expectantly upwards for its next feed. The Southern Hawker put in a further appearance as it buzzed me and again disappear over the hedge.
Swallows hawking above the Lonning . . .
. . . with juvenile looking skywards in anticipation of food.