Hello again, it's been a pretty warm, if not very sunny, day at Old Moor today.

The 'new' sightings are of a sanderling on the Mere, to pink footed geese on Wath Ings and from Adwick - two little stint, 3 dunlin, 4 ringed plover and a garganey.

The book from today in two parts.

Part 1.

Part 2.

As you can see, there are lots of birds for you to see during your visit and bitterns can currently be seen from all over the reserve. You've just got to be looking at the right time!

Ian Morris certainly was yesterday. He took a video of a bittern near the bus stop who was being dived bombed by gulls. Thanks Ian. 

I had a couple of very enjoyable hours looking for little things around the ponds. I'm delighted to say I saw a ruby tailed wasp and also this one which I have seen before. I think it's a blue jewel/cuckoo wasp (trichrysis cyanea). They are parasitic wasps and usually hang around the nests of solitary bees on old wood. This one was on that big stump by the picnic bench around the ponds.

I also enjoyed watching broad bodied chaser dragonflies on the pond to the left of the bridge which is seen from the bird garden hide.  I spotted one, a male, as it perched up near the bridge.

It enjoyed solitude for a brief moment before being 'buzzed' by a female. She wouldn't let him rest and relax. Every time he perched up, along she came and almost flew into him. Entertaining to watch! While all this was going on, another female was ovipositing in the same pond. I decided it would be a good idea to try to take a photo of the 3rd female ovipositing so I spent a couple of minutes, ages, trying to get a photo. She darted here, then there, then over there and then back to here. Impossible! Here's one of my very best photos. :) 

I also enjoyed seeing both male and female common blue butterflies around the ponds.

Female common blue butterfly.

Male common blue butterfly.

I was also delighted to find a few 'Geralds' around Old Moor today. Apologies to all those of you who have the same name, but Andrew named puss moth caterpillars 'Gerald' a couple of years ago and that is how we now know them!

Let's hope they grow up into their 5th instar so we can all enjoy them along the way.

What else did I find? Yellow rattle is out. I love this plant and it's fascinating. Yellow rattle is a a semi-parasitic grassland annual. In short, it weakens the grasses which then allow the wild flowers to grow better and hence give us all a better display. 

Yellow Rattle.

As I walked around the ponds I thought again and again that the wild flowers are looking stunning, in particular the cow parsley this year.

I spent a few minutes, far too long, watching a brimstone butterfly feeding on the red campion in the little garden near the visitor centre. It was quite interesting watching it because every time another butterfly came along (female orange tip, gv white) it promptly chased them away before returning to feed on the red campion.

Male brimstone butterfly.

This morning, Heather had a great moth in the trap, a lime hawk moth. Thanks to Heather for the photo.

Here's a photo of all the moths they found this morning. 

I spotted that they also found three pale tussocks moths and a white ermine. I've found these two moths recently elsewhere and they are fab moths too! 

Pale Tussock Moth - very furry! 

White Ermine Moth. 

Finally for today, the good news from the cafe is that the 'Full English Breakfast' is back! It's being served until 11:30am. 

Here's a photo of one to whet your appetite.

Have a lovely evening, back soon. :)