Regular WeBS counter Stuart Carlton completed the latest monthly count last week on site - always a quiet time of year for this survey, but still some nice things around. Here are his results....
36 mallard
28 tufted duck
9 pochard
51 mute swan - impressive number
25 Canada goose
7 greylag goose
3 shelduck
92 coot
2 moorhen
2 grey heron
9 great crested grebe
1 cormorant
18 lapwing
5 avocet
2 oystercatcher
6 little ringed plover
5 black-headed gull
4 common tern
There are also plenty of insects around now too, with several species of butterfly on the wing. Painted lady's have started to make an appearance after an influx into the UK of this migrant species, the first large skippers are on the wing and common blues have appeared in the last few days. Odonata wise, there is loads to see, particularly around the Phase 1 grassland and water's edges, with red-eyed damselfly and hairy dragonfly being the highlights. Hairy dragonfly is a species expanding it's range northwards. They were first discovered at Langford in 2014, but after no records in 2015, they are back and it's great to see them. A pair seen in cop confirms breeding too!
Some other good insects around recently include the stunning wasp beetle, Clytus arietis, banded demoiselle, loads of drinker moth caterpillars, Cercopis vulnerata - large red and black froghopper and Rhogogaster - a bright lime green coloured sawfly.
Hairy dragonfly. Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)