As we say farewell to July and what would normally be a warm and sunny hello to August, the rain we were craving has definitely overstayed it’s welcome, or so it would seem. Despite the wet weather, we’ve had a great turnout of variety here at the Newport Wetlands and all the action seems to be occurring right outside our window!, including the long-awaited return of our Kingfisher!
Frequently seen in the past right outside the Café, our Kingfisher hopefully should make some more star appearances.
Image credit: Liv Davies
Most mornings we are greeted to the eerie laugh of the green woodpecker. Most commonly seen in the car park they are wonderful birds to hear and spot. It has been quiet on the wader front this month, not too unusual at this time of year but that hasn't spotted the mass of black-tailed godwits flying over most days in the hundreds. It gives us goosebumps for the eagerly anticipated return of the starlings! Two little Grebe chicks have made the bouncy bridge their nursery, catching all kind of underwater insects. Any guess as to what they are eating in this picture!?
Image credit Ieuan Evans
The hirundines are still flitting about the skies, majority being house and sand martins with the occasional swallow. It is currently Prime time for the rare shrill carder bee, although not so rare at Newport Wetlands we are practically tripping over the buzzy little bees. Have you spotted one yet?
Image credit: Claire Fidler
Between the wet weather, hot days have randomly appeared and the with the humidity it brings there has been a noticeable bloom in insect life around the reserve. Many of our resident Dragonflies have been sighted frequently. Our largest, the Emperor Dragonfly, can be seen on most of the reserve, alongside Common Darters, Ruddy Darters, Southern Hawkers, and the Migrant Hawker.
Image credit Ieuan Evans (Left) Jack Alexander (Right)
These voracious predators are the UK’s largest Dragonfly, and have bright turquoise hues all along their body, with a large green head. On their head, a pair of huge compound eyes give them incredibly good vision with which they hunt down prey such as damselflies, tadpoles and even other dragonflies.
The Great white Egret, Little Egret and Grey Heron are consistently parading on the scrape for all to see, demonstrating grace and patience as then hunt for bugs and sticklebacks between the heavy rain.
Image Credit Ieuan Evans
Great white Egrets are a migratory species, which is what makes ours so special, having journeyed here from as far abroad as North Africa or perhaps eastern Europe, the very first pair seen nesting in the UK was recorded on the Somerset levels in May of 2012. They are slow flying and are usually very silent. When they do call, they make a low, hoarse croak.
Head over to our Big Butterfly Bonanza blog to read all about the wonderful sightings we had in July!
Common toad, Furrowed orb weaver spider, Garden orb weaver spider, Garden spider, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed gull, Black-tailed godwit, Blue tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada goose, Carrion crow, Cetti's warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared dove, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Firecrest, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great black-backed gull, Great crested grebe, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Great white egret, Green woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey heron, Grey wagtail, Herring gull, House martin, House sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, Lesser whitethroat, Linnet, Little egret, Little grebe, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh harrier, Meadow pipit, Mistle thrush, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine falcon, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pochard, Raven, Red kite, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Robin, Sand martin, Sedge warbler, Shelduck, Song thrush, Sparrowhawk, Stonechat, Swallow, Teal, Treecreeper, Tufted duck, Water rail, Whimbrel, Willow warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Common pill woodlouse, Hornet, Coletes similis, Honey bee, Long-horned bee, Melitta leporina, Patchwork leaf-cutter bee, Tawny mining bee, 7-spot ladybird, Common red soldier beetle, musk beetle, Wasp beetle, Brown-banded carder bee, Buff/white-tailed bumblebee, Common carder bumblebee, Early bumblebee, Garden bumblebee, Red-tailed bumblebee, Shrill carder bee, Southern cuckoo bumblebee, Brimstone butterfly, Brown argus butterfly, Clouded yellow butterfly, Comma butterfly, Common blue butterfly, gatekeeper butterfly, Green-veined white butterfly, Holly blue butterfly, Large white butterfly, Meadow brown butterfly, Painted lady butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Red admiral butterfly, Small copper butterfly, Small skipper butterfly, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Small white butterfly, Speckled wood butterfly, Blue tailed damselfly, Common blue damselfly, Common Darter Dragonfly, Common hawker dragonfly, Emperor dragonfly, Large red damselfly, Migrant hawker dragonfly, ruddy darter dragonfly, Small red-eyed damselfly, Long-winged conehead, Marmalade hoverfly, 6-spot burnet moth, Buff ermine moth, Cinnabar moth, Death's head hawk moth, drinker moth, Emperor moth, Gold spot moth, Jersey tiger moth, Bank vole, Common pipistrelle, Fox, Grey squirrel, Noctule, Rabbit, Soprano pipistrelle, Stoat, Water vole, Weasel, Clearwing.