The wind dropped and the temperature rose again and there were actually plenty of waders to see on Aveley Pools with 7 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, 3 Redshanks, 8 Greenshanks, 2 Whimbrel, 27 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Oystercatchers present along with 17 Little Grebes, 121 Coots, 27 Moorhens, Greylag Goose family, Wigeon, 5 Gadwall, 64 Mallard, 5 Common Tern, 32 Little Egrets and 33 Grey heron. A Hobby and a female Marsh Harrier were seen over Wennington Marsh and 5 Yellow-legged Gull were on the foreshore with two broods of Shelduck. A Kingfisher was seen zipping across the marsh and was the first in a while while 7 Swift, 200 Sand Martin, 15 House Martin hawked low for insects.
Speaking of which got a great shot a of a very groovy fly yesterday. As usual no English name but I am open to suggestions! And so Thick-headed Fly it is!
Sicus ferrugineus by me. Certainly a new one for the reserve.
Poecilobothrus nobiliatus female with prey. This is a little bigger than a mosquito! The males have lovely white spots at the end of the wings.
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer
HI howard. The common name of the lovely Conopidae: Sicus Ferrugineus is the Thick-Headed Fly.