A quieter week on the reserve for sightings, but nevertheless some nice highlights including –
Juvenile marsh harrier feeding over Phase 2. This is a lovely bird, with uniform dark chocolate brown plumage and an bright orange/cream cap.
2 dunlin on Phase 3
Flocks of golden plover calling overhead – one of the characteristic sounds of autumn here at Langford.
Grey wagtail on Phase 3.
Water rail calling on Phase 2.
Small groups of swallows moving overhead.
And some insects….
Ocypus olens, or the devil’s coach-horse by our storage containers on Tuesday. A common beetle of the Family Staphylinidae (the rove beetles). They are large creatures at around 25-30mm in length and characteristically raise their abdomens when threatened.
The water ladybird, Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata, was on silt lagoon 7 on Tuesday. A small ladybird and one that I haven’t seen at Langford for some time, they have usually 15-21 spots across the elytra (wing cases) and pronotum (thorax case). They are a bright red base colour in the spring and early summer and then turn beige in late summer to winter.
Also on Tuesday I was lucky to catch a male vapourer moth, or Orgyia antiqua, on the wing over the Phase 2 grassland. This species flies from July – October, with winged males flying during the day (and night) and wingless females. They are common throughout much of the UK, the larvae feeding an a variety of deciduous woody plant species.
And finally a nice group of 4 roe deer on Phase 3 on Wednesday - one male and three females, always a pleasure to see these.