Another week has flown by on the reserve and staff and volunteers are as busy as ever. Work at this time of year generally consists more of maintenance and keeping access open and the visitor areas looking tidy, but not too tidy - it's a fine balance as we are a nature reserve and not a garden of course. Some areas we have to leave until we are certain that birds have finished breeding. It means in some places reeds may be now tall enough to obscure certain views from hides and screens but please bear with us as by the end of this month we should be able to start taking more action.
There are still plenty of places to enjoy the wildlife of the reserve and there is plenty to enjoy. Bitterns are still making flights although these are reducing as they near fledging. Flights have still been observed from both viewing platforms (VP1 and VP2) and the Avalon Hide this week (including yesterday) so catch 'em while you can - they will soon revert to their more secretive nature. John Crispin captured this shot this week - showing some wearing on the feathers. Thanks John:
Some birds are considering starting again such as the great crested grebes which appear to be sat on a nest in front of the Avalon Hide, whilst a second pair with youngsters is also in the area. Other family groups can be seen within the Waltons section such as these taken by Kevin Bowers, an RSPB volunteer from Cornwall. Thanks Kevin, great to have your contributions once again:
This coot seems to be rebuilding it's nest too, despite having youngsters around - could be just sprucing up a bit. Thanks to Kevin Bowers again for his shots:
There are plenty of other young birds to spot out on the water such as: mallard, moorhen, grey herons can still be heard in the Waltons reedbeds, gadwall and these pochards photographed by John Crispin in the eastern side of Waltons. Thanks John:
There are plenty of cygnets around too many included the the gathering group of mute swans hanging around in the main drain near the Avalon Hole turning (where the river warbler was located during its visit). There are quite a number building up here now. These were seen at the Tor View hide and photographed by Kevin Bowers - Thanks again Kevin:
So much cuteness on display at the reserve at the moment. Of course once breeding finished birdlife tends to get a bit quieter for a couple of months until the autumn migration begins. Many birds, ducks in particular are already going into eclipse and many smaller birds look a bit washed out and worn after frantic weeks of feeding youngsters and begin to moult too. This robin at the car park is a prime example. It is looing a bit sorry for itself but its red breast will soon shine brightly once again. Thanks to Mike Pearce for his photo:
Many enthusiasts begin to look more closely at insect and other invertebrate life of the reserve - the more you look, the more you see - some more obvious and appealing than others such as butterflies. I think the previous unpredictable weather has had a knock on effect on some species but there is a good selection to look for: Speckled wood, small skipper, small tortoiseshell, peacock, red admiral, green veined white, meadow brown, brimstone and comma all spotted this week but look out for white admiral as well. We occasionally get reports of them along the main path and one was spotted over at Shapwick Heath this week.
Thanks to Kevin Bowers for his shot of small skipper (think I've ID'd that right) and Mike Pearce for his shot of comma - named after the small white streak shaped like a comma on the underwing. The ragged wing edges and its colour are its main features though:
Moths too are pretty amazing but not something I've found time to learn myself yet. The day flying scarlet tiger moths are still around - look for a vivid red flash as it flutters by from its underwings. When settled it looks like this (thanks to Mike Pearce for his shot):
I quite often see this ragged looking white moth at this time of year and I took a shot of one today on my phone:
It's a white plume moth. They are generally found on rough grasslands and fly between June and August. Their larva feed on bindweeds which explains why we see them here. Plenty of bindweed with the large white flowers which tangles around everything on the reserve. It's wings remind me of the plumes of our great white & little egrets - guessing that's where it gets its name.
Talking of larvae. Thanks to Mike Pearce for his shots of the pupa and then the larva of the harlequin ladybird -
....and how about this rather large caterpillar from the drinker moth (thanks again to John Crispin):
Maybe we are getting towards the less appealing end of the invertebrate world for people but I think we can go further:
The humble amber snail but with a difference. Occasionally the amber snail will have giant extended eye stalks, which seem to have green moving lateral stripes. This is the result of the green banded broodsac parasite. The journey of this parasite begins in the droppings of birds which are infected with eggs. The snail will then feed on the droppings and once the eggs are inside the snail they will develop into the parasite which attracts birds by the green moving lateral stripes in the eye stalks - and so it starts again. Thanks to John for this gross but very interesting info
In amongst the grasses you'll also see plenty of grasshoppers and crickets. John Crispin has sent me this phot. I'm taking a guess that it's a dark bush cricket (crickets have long antennae compared to grasshoppers) but I'm happy to be corrected by someone who knows better:
Dragonflies & damselflies too are out in good numbers. Lots of four spotted chasers around the Waltons trail and also look out for black tailed skimmers, scarce chaser, emperor and southern hawker and in terms of damselflies keep your eyes open for red eyed, azure, common blue, variable, banded demoiselle and blue tailed like the ones pictured mating from Mike Pearce - thanks Mike:
If invertebrates aren't your thing how about reptiles and amphibians. Quite a few grass snake sightings this week including close to the car parking, along the main track as you cross into Waltons and they have been seen swimming on a couple of other locations by visitors. You may also encounter the odd slow worm too. Its a legless reptile rather than a snake. I found this one whilst tidying the compound next to the Welcome Building at the car park on Wednesday:
Sightings too of froglets and toadlets from common frog and common toad and a couple of sightings of newts reported - most likely smooth newt but we do have great crested newts on site.
Of course you can't help but hear the Iberian water frogs croaking away around Waltons and Loxtons in particular - I think it's around this time of year they will have tadpoles too - much later than our native frogs.
Back in the bird world great white egrets are still easy spots for visitors and so photogenic. Sightings from most of the reserve really but good close sightings from the Tor View Hide this week and frequently from VP1, VP2, the Avalon Hide and the car park with many birds still feeding remaining youngsters in nests. Thanks to Kevin Bowers for his shots all taken at the Tor View Hide last Saturday:
Thanks also to John Crispin for his shot of an egret coming in to land:
Very few cattle egret sightings reported to me recently but as far as I'm aware there are a few being spotted in the local area but I have no specific locations to offer.
Grey heron are also a common fixture of the reserve with daily sightings - you can often hear them coming with that familiar angry sounding squawk. One was seen battling with an eel from the Avalon Hide earlier this week - it did win the battle in the end over that slippery customer! Thanks again to Kevin Bowers for his photo of a grey heron in flight:
Marsh harriers are still busy with regular sightings from VP1 and the Avalon Hide. 2 juvenile birds have been spotted from the VP1 area flying up low from the reeds - perhaps when an adult bird was near. Look out for the more gingery colouring on the head and shoulders of these birds to give you a clue.
Also from VP1 this week have been sightings of hobby (and Avalon Hide), whitethroat opposite in the brambles, swift, swallow and barn owls. I will check my remote camera towards the end of next week to see if we have captured any images of the barn owls going to the box we couldn't access for ringing last Friday. Several sightings of these birds in early mornings and evenings this week from VP1 and the Avalon Hide. Thanks to John Crispin for his shots of this amazing bird out hunting over the reeds:
Also seen this week: 6 jays together making a hell of a racket towards the end of the main track (guessing a family group), Garganey from VP2, a peregrine distant from the Avalon Hide yesterday, sparrowhawk from Tor View Hide yesterday, a muntjac which ran through the grounds of the factory adjacent to the reserve yesterday, roe deer spotted frequently on the reserve, buzzards daily, great spotted woodpeckers daily, lapwings flying over, bearded tits seen close to the Avalon Hide, a kingfisher seen within Waltons this week on a couple of occasions and plenty of singing warblers along the main path along with treecreeper, goldcrest and bullfinch.
That's it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend - happy hunting!