Welcome to this week’s blog, and to start with here is a selection of the moths we caught in the trap last night. We had another specimen each of marbled clover and tawny wave, which are both specialities of the local area. Marbled clover caterpillars feed on the flowers and unripe seeds of a variety of plants which grow well in the Brecks, such as white campion, common toadflax and red clover. Tawny wave is classified as Rare in the Red Data Book of species and is another special species that you only really find in Breckland habitat. When fresh it is a really vivid brick-red but quickly fades to brown. Photo: A marbled clover moth (bottom right) with a large wainscot (left) and uncertain/rustic (middle) on the egg cartons this morning. Photo taken by me, Heidi Jones.
Photo: A small but beautiful tawny wave! First recorded on the reserve on 24 July and then for a second time last night. Photo by Heidi Jones
Also in the trap were several fen wainscots, a very pretty sallow kitten, and interesting the smallest and the largest moths in the trap were also the most numerous, with twenty of the very pretty and dainty ringed china mark (a micromoth) and fifteen poplar hawkmoths! These sluggish giants are very common here as most of the trees on the reserve are hybrid black poplars giving an endless supply of food for their caterpillars. A ringed china mark is no bigger than a fingernail whereas a poplar hawkmoth would fill the palm of your hand! Bird life on the reserve has been interesting too- we had a further sighting of an osprey on 2 August with no further reports since, and two whimbrel were spotted on the Washland on the evening of 4 August. Up to three ruff have been seen up there too, with single garganey and wigeon also recorded on 4 August which, along with the whimbrel, is a nod towards the first of the autumn migrant waders moving south via the reserve. This morning (7 August) our volunteer and regular visitor Paul Holness counted over 600 lapwing, as well as 73 black-tailed godwits so this is the latest count. Avocets are easy to see daily at the moment but we had a count of 13 on 3 August- this includes several young birds of different sizes as well as adults.
Little egret have been a bit scarce on the reserve of late, but on 4 August we had three using the Washland, and their larger cousins the great white egrets are beginning to show well too with two birds seen down at Joist Fen on 3 August. It is down here that you stand the best chance of seeing our cranes- we have two adult pairs still on site, and one pair has a fledged chick in tow. There is also a lone bird which also spent the summer with us, so you may see up to six birds. Two or three is more usual, as you’ll be seeing one of the pairs (which may be the pair with the chick) or you may see five as the two pairs are hanging around together more and more often as we move towards autumn. Eventually all six birds will leave us for the Ouse Washes where there’ll join the wintering group there, which can number 60+ birds although hopefully they’ll stay with us for a few weeks yet.
Bitterns have been showing well to visitors lately- this beautiful photo was taken by one of our regular visitors, Junita Davies. If you want to try and see them, now is the time as females with chicks still to feed and fledglings are busy moving around the reserve. Photo: A beautiful bittern, photographed by Junita Davies on 2 August.
Yesterday (6 August) the reserve team found the first wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) of 2020 in grassland near Trial Wood, so keep an eye out for these. It’s the females you will probably notice, as they are the larger ones with the vivid wasp-mimic colouration which means they can sit out in the open in broad daylight and not worry about being predated! The ‘stabilimentum’ component of the webs (the white ‘zigzag’ section of silk is always very obvious for this species, but the function of this feature is unclear. Look out for these beauties in any sunny, sheltered grassland spot where they can spin an orb web across a little clearing in the grass. There are also dragonflies everywhere at the moment, with brown hawker, ruddy darter and emperor dragonfly everywhere, especially on the warm days of late. Red admiral, peacock and large white are our commonest butterflies, with brown argus and common blue present along the riverbank footpath. Always check the buddleia bush outside the Visitor Centre during your visit for nectaring butterflies, and interesting hoverflies too.
Looking to the week ahead, it seems as if the hot weather is here to stay for a while so it might be worth planning an early morning or evening visit to be safe and taking it easy in the heat of the day. We have had some lovely images sent to us by visitors recently, and the more the merrier- it is always nice to see what you have seen. You can send them to lakenheath@rspb.org.uk or post them onto our Facebook page (RSPB Lakenheath Fen) or tag us into a post on Twitter (@RSPBLakenheath).
And lastly, just a quick summary of facilities that are open at the moment- our Car Park is now open again from dawn to dusk, while the Welcome Point and refreshments from the side of the Visitor Centre are open from 9am to 5pm. We have an accessible toilet open too (the first one you reach in the block) for your convenience. Mere Hide remains closed. With best wishes for the coming week, and we hope to see you soon! Heidi (Visitor Experience Officer, RSPB Lakenheath Fen).