A beautiful day today – some sunshine and heat, amazing! But the wildlife has been brilliant, with loads of insects on the wing and some good birds too. Here are today’s highlights….
female marsh harrier over Phase 2
2 avocets on Phase 1
common sandpiper on Phase 1
hobby hunting over silt lagoon 6
mass emergence of damselflies in the last few days has culminated in hundreds on Phase 1 including common blue, azure and the first blue-tailed of the year
the first wasp beetle, or Clytus arietis to be scientific, on the public footpath by the silt lagoons
the click beetle Kibunea minuta, also on the public footpath and again the first of 2013
the first silver Y moth nectaring on flowers on Phase 1
the butterfly transect produced 18 individuals of 5 species – still very poor for the time of year, but an improvement on the last transect. Volunteer Graham Gamage also had the first small heath of the year on Phase 2 this morning
and finally, the first moth trapping session of the year that has actually produced any moths! Just 6 individuals of 4 species this morning, but it’s a start – 3 common swift, 1 beautiful lesser swallow prominent, an equally impressive pale prominent and a rather worn looking dark-barred twin spot carpet. Fingers crossed for some more good weather and some more species soon.