Perhaps one of the most striking things about Langford at the moment is the abundance of insects on the wing. A mild winter, followed by a warm spring and early summer has produced excellent numbers of butterflies and Odonata, as well as many other invertebrates. It is encouraging to see this after the relatively low numbers we have been seeing in the last few years. The large numbers of butterflies in particular was proven yesterday, when I recorded the highest number of individuals on a butterfly transect since 2011. The results of yesterday's transect are as follows -
101 peacock - an incredible number of this species, I have never seen so many at Langford
33 gatekeeper
17 meadow brown
14 large white
9 speckled wood
7 green-veined white
5 comma
4 brimstone
3 ringlet
10 unidentified white species
5 unidentified skipper species
We also have purple hairstreak on the wing now - look for them on the ash tree above the information boards at the woodland entrance. Common blues are now out in their second generation, as are small copper. Painted lady has been recorded this week and there is also always the possibility of clouded yellow.
The most common Odonata species out at the moment include common blue and blue-tailed damselflies, black-tailed skimmer, emperor, brown hawker and southern hawker. Look out for the first migrant hawkers appearing soon too.
And a bit of bird news....pleasingly, the bittern was seen again from the Beach Hut yesterday (Tuesday 22nd). It emerged from the same fringe of reeds to the left of the pond dipping platform and flew over to the northern most silt lagoon. A common sandpiper was on Phase 1, viewable from the visitor trails yesterday, a kingfisher was seen by Beach Hut volunteer Dave Roberts from the Cromwell trail and I heard another from the first silt lagoon near the woodland and a greenshank was heard calling from the Beach Hut this afternoon. A yellow-legged gull was on silt lagoon 5 yesterday afternoon, with a group of 32 lesser black-backed gulls and black-headed gulls. A nice looking adult bird and one we always look out for in July. Silt lagoon 5 is the second northern most as you walk up to the Beach Hut and is viewable from the public footpath only.
Just a quick update with some excellent news - we were thrilled to see a clouded yellow on site today! Spotted by volunteer Stuart Carlton on the south edge of the Cromwell trail. Brilliant to see this species for the second year in a row here at Langford. Also today, a painted lady in the same place and a whimbrel on silt lagoon 5 - the 2nd northern most silt lagoon where the yellow-legged gull was, please view from public footpath only.