By the Dozen - Sightings, 18 Aug

Along with all the other birds, mammals, bugs, butterflies, dragonflies, plants and fungi, there were twelve species of wader at Old Moor today! Here’s what was recorded…

If you haven’t yet seen it, the great white egret is still at Old Moor and showing extremely well. Today it spent much of its time on Wath Ings or the Field Pool. Every visit to Old Moor at present I expect this bird to have moved on – and it will at some point – so, enjoy this one while you can.

Also still with us was a knot. This medium-sized wader is a bird normally associated with coastal sites but has been seen at Old Moor for the last six days. With its stocky, tapered bill and short, greenish legs, this is a very compact bird and one that at the moment, can be seen around the edges of the Mere or Wader Scrape.

One of the joys of Old Moor is how different people engage with wildlife in different ways. So, instead of a photograph of the said knot, here’s the bird as seen through the eyes of an artist.

Russ Boland’s field sketches of a knot from observations at Old Moor on 17 Aug. Thanks Russ.

A more common sight – but no less pleasing – around the reserve are kestrel. Over the last few days there have been some close sightings of these small birds of prey and, luckily for us, one caught the eye of Mary Wilde.

A kestrel mid hover. Thanks Mary.

And it’s not just the birds of course. Eagle-eyed readers will have already spotted a mention of stoats today (above) and those beautiful clouded yellow butterflies.

In fact, pick a sunny day to visit and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of butterfly sightings at present. So, to finish tonight’s blog, here’s one of the more familiar butterfly species feeding on a sedum, a plant that is a terrific nectar source for late summer and early autumn butterflies.

Until next time.

Peacock and sedum from Dr Alison Iredale. Thanks Alison.