The hot weather continues and as expected those hottest parts of the day are quieter for both wildlife and visitors. We are picking up some phenomenal sightings as always. Probably the pick of the week this week will be the 2 spoonbills which flew over the reserve near the Avalon Hide on Wednesday. If you don't believe me here's the proof thanks to Graham Wagner who was out and about early in the day - very sensible given the heat in the afternoons.
Well, there's no mistaking what they are is there - shame I missed them myself on this occasion.
The Avalon Hide is a good place to spend some time - especially to hide out from the sun a bit too. Marsh Harriers are still in evidence here with a good chance of spotting some youngsters being dropped food by parent birds. There's also a male regularly hunting over the reeds in front of the 1st platform (VP1) & across in Waltons too while distant from the second platform (VP2) a pair and youngsters have been seen where 3 have successfully fledged during the last week. Thanks to Graham Wagner for his Marsh Harrier shot taken this week:
Other birds of prey have been seen throughout the week including: buzzards on a daily basis (including over the car park), the odd hobby including one over Loxtons on Tuesday, yet another red kite over on Monday, sparrowhawk from VP2 this morning and the car park on Tuesday, tawny owls heard calling in the evenings and barn owls spotted from VP1 and close to the Avalon Hide during the week. I'll save the barn owl photos we got from the ringing visit last week for another short blog - hopefully I will find the time.
One of our regular stars of course is the great white egret - they are an easy spot on the reserve these days. They are still flying regularly over the car park but there are several regularly using the area in front of VP2 too. I saw at least 7 there this morning as I drove by (quite spread out though) and at least 10 little egrets too but I can't match the 12 recorded there on Monday.
I've been sent some really good photos of great whites this week. Take a look at this incident captured by John Crispin this week. John suggested that this maybe one of this years youngsters given its clumsiness and naivety when trying to land on a raft occupied by a gadwall mother and her brood. From the photos you can see she did not take kindly to it but has shown well, her maternal instinct in protecting her family. Thanks John- great photos:
Thanks also to Graham Wagner who's sent me this lovely image of a great white in the early morning sun in front of the Avalon Hide on Wednesday:
Also at the Avalon Hide this week we've had reports of bearded tits on a couple of occasions as well as great crested grebe, little grebe and on Monday an otter was reported swimming across the back of the first pond. In the wood close by: great spotted woodpecker, coal tit and spotted flycatcher to name a few. Also in front of the hide a few bittern flights although these are not particularly frequent. Look out also from VP1 and Waltons/Tor View Hide for sightings.
As well as the otter we've had an array of mammals reported this week: Roe deer around Waltons and in the woodland pockets on the reserve, grey squirrel, rabbit stoat along the main path and a weasel near VP1 and this fox spotted this morning by Graham Wagner on the grassy track between VP1 & the junction with the Avalon Hide path - thanks Graham:
Whilst still away from birds there is plenty of other wildlife to spot - particularly when the sun is keeping them all quiet. It's a good time to bone up on your butterfly and dragonfly ID's. There are plenty out there to keep you interested. Butterflies seen this week include: Common Blue, Green Veined White, Large White, Brimstone, Comma, Red Admiral, Peacock (lots), Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper - at least 30 of these in the long grass by the car park pools. Look out also in the pools for both common frog and Iberian water frog - these heard this week too. Also look out for butterflies such as painted lady, silver washed fritillary, clouded yellow and white admiral - all recorded on the reserve last week.
Look out in particular on the hemp agrimony along the ditches it's a great late flowering nectar source. I've found an archived picture of John Crispin's of it to help you:
In terms of dragonflies it's busy too. Still some 4 spotted chasers around although nowhere near the numbers there were of course, black tailed skimmers (plenty of these), southern hawker, brown hawker, emperor, common dater, variable damselfly, common blue damselfly, blue tailed damselfly and red eyed damselfly. Take a good look at your red eyed damsels though as they could be small red eyed. I believe this is what volunteer Giles Morris has sent me this week from his dragonfly survey. It looks to have the extra part blue segment on the tail which the regular red eyed damsel doesn't have. Thanks Giles:
One of the most noticeable birds on the reserve this week has been the black headed gull. There are plenty around hunting over the water - they make plenty of noise too. Look out though for Mediterranean Gull we've had a couple of sightings this week over Waltons. One was thought to be a 2nd summer bird (on Monday). John Crispin took this shot of one in full breeding plumage this week. Thanks John:
Look out also for lesser black backed gulls. They are well known for picking off young birds and would have no trouble swallowing a duckling whole should they get the chance. The 2 very small little grebe chicks spotted from the 2 eastern facing screens at Waltons should watch out too.
On this occasion this bird was happy to eat some of this large eel left on one of the rafts - nobody knows which animal left it there in the first place though. Thanks for the photo go to John Crispin:
You'll see plenty of ducks while on your travels - there have been lots of mallard and gadwall in Waltons and Loxtons in particular. Many are in eclipse of course which can make ID's a little trickier. This male mallard in eclipse was taken by John Crispin this week. You can ID him by the bill colour. When males go into eclipse they lose their wing feathers - this photo shows the new feathers coming through - black tipped. Thanks again John:
Waltons is usually a good place to spot kingfishers. We've had a couple of reports of them here this week and I heard one calling in flight in the area yesterday. However, Graham Wagner picked this one up right in front of the screen at Loxtons and took this lovely shot. Thanks Graham:
Also this week: sightings of swift during the week including 6 from VP2 on Sunday, house martins spotted too on Monday, a redshank flew over also on Sunday whilst a few Lapwing have been seen throughout the week, grass snakes seen along the main path but the old rail bridge or the road bridge are often good places, lots of crickets and grasshoppers in the long grass around the reserve, great crested grebe with young seen from Tor View Hide, a Raven flew over calling this morning - seen from VP2, cuckoo seen and heard around Loxtons on Tuesday and the far end of the track in flight on Wednesday. Quite a few warblers around still too: cettis warbler, reed & sedge warbler, blackcap, willow warbler and whitethroat (most likely chance is from VP1) - the latter 2 both pictured below thanks to John Crispin:
Willow warbler (perhaps a young one); John Crispin
Whitethroat: John Crispin
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend