Last nights rain has left the reserve looking positively verdant this morning. It is still overcast now but the temperature has risen slightly and the sun is trying to peak through. A Spotted Flycatcher was seen yesterday but there was no sign of it this morning but a Turtle Dove was ample recompense. Hundreds of Swifts around and the Sand Martins have been coming down to dust bath on top of the river wall.
Spotted Flycatcher by Russ Sherriff
We were hoping to have the new Shooting Butts Hide open for the coming Bank Holiday weekend but weather related complications earlier in the build have left us with a little still to do and we do not want to open it without it being as good as we can get it. Please bear with us a little longer; it will definitely be worth the wait and I will keep you all up to date with developments on this blog.
And some nice insects yesterday with a name being put to the velvety cardinal beetle that we seem to have lots of at the moment and some nice Carder Bees on the red clover.
Pyrochroa serraticornis - a cardinal beetle by me
Common Carder Bee - Bombus pascourum by me