Hello
As many of you know there are 11 Water Buffalo grazing the flood meadow on the HMWT part of the reserve. Well there is now a new edition with a baby born over the weekend. Fortunatly a large part of the meadow was cut last friday allowing good views of the calf when the herd is grazing that area. The calf seems very happy suckling from mum, following the herd and the occasional bounce around. Cute!
amongst the herd
spending time with mum
When heading down to the coral to take the pictures of the buffalo some visitors came across this beautiful caterpillar marching across the path. Unsure weather it could sting them initialy they were quite shy but after chatting to them they picked it up and were amazed by the feel of its legs as it walked up their arm and the children plucked up enough courage to touch it before they poped it back in the vegetation. Some very happy and fascinated visitors. This was not a caterpillar i had seen before so guessing a hawk moth i looked it up when i got back in the office and it is a Privet hawk moth caterpillar. Crawley!
When the visitors who had initially spotted the caterpillar returned to the visitor centre i showed tham a picture of the caterpillar and moth, bizarely not long ago they had come across an adult privet hawk moth in the middle of the path and had got pictures of it on their phone.
Other sightings today include 2 ruddy shelduck loafing on the lagoons (probably escappees but putting on a good show), an eclipse pintail, a juvenile ringed plover, green shank, kingfisher and 12 snipe, water vole, lots of emperor dragonfly and speckled wood butterfly.
thanks
vicky